Sensate Robotics Inc.

Sensate Robotics Inc., a veteran-owned small business based in Los Angeles, California, develops advanced tactile sensing and robotic automation technology for federal research and development funding as a prime recipient under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and NSF grant mechanisms. The company competes exclusively under small-business set-asides and has not yet established a position on any government-wide contract vehicles or IDIQs.

Sensate's federal footprint centers on multi-modal tactile sensor systems designed for extreme environments and tactile-enabled robotic automation. The company holds three recent prime awards, all in the SBIR or federally funded research space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Shared Services Center funded two SBIR contracts: a Phase I definitive contract awarded September 29, 2025, for $174,122 (completion March 27, 2026) developing a multi-modal tactile sensor system for extreme-environment operations, and a Phase II definitive contract awarded September 30, 2026, for $1.27 million (completion September 29, 2028) that continues the sensor technology advancement. The National Science Foundation awarded Sensate a $304,917 Phase I grant under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084, awarded October 1, 2025, completion September 30, 2026) to develop a tactile-enabled robotic quality control cell integrating touch-based sensing into robotic grippers for manufacturing and agricultural automation — enabling robots to perform gauge checking, quality sorting, and handling of delicate or irregular objects that traditional vision-based systems cannot reliably process.

Sensate's activity is recent and emerging; the company entered the federal funding record in September 2025 and has completed or will complete one award (Phase I SBIR, $1.3 million potential value) within the next twenty-four months. All work is performed at the company's facility in Oakwood, California. The vendor has not yet established a subcontractor footprint on prime-awarded programs. Sensate's technical positioning is specialized — advanced tactile sensing and sensor-gripper integration for robotics and manufacturing automation — with no geographic or multi-sector diversification evident in the current award base.