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Somatosensation

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

Sensory Functions of the Skin

Sensory Functions of the Skin

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

In Vivo Two-Photon Microscopy of Single Nerve Endings in Skin

In Vivo Two-Photon Microscopy of Single Nerve Endings in Skin

Published on: August 24, 2014

In Vivo Skin 3-D Surface Reconstruction and Wrinkle Depth Estimation Using Handheld High Resolution Tactile Sensing.

Akhil Padmanabha¹, Arpit Agarwal^1,2, Catherine Li¹

¹Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Advanced Healthcare Materials

|December 26, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new portable 3-D skin reconstruction probe accurately measures wrinkle depth. This validated tool aids in clinical skin analysis and evaluating skincare product effectiveness.

Keywords:

3‐D reconstruction dermatological sensing tactile sensing

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Dermatology
Optical Imaging

Background:

Objective dermatological assessment requires high-resolution 3-D skin surface reconstruction.
Existing devices lack portability, validation across body sites, and consistent force sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a portable, high-resolution 3-D skin reconstruction probe.
To enable accurate, micron-level wrinkle height estimation for dermatological applications.

Main Methods:

A compact GelSight tactile imaging probe with a custom elastic gel and learning-based algorithm was developed.
Integrated load cell ensured consistent contact force during measurements.
Wrinkle depth was measured on test objects and in human participants across multiple body regions.

Main Results:

The probe achieved a mean absolute error of 12.55 $μ m$ on wrinkle-like test objects.
Validated wrinkle depth metrics were obtained across multiple body regions in 15 participants.
Statistically significant reductions in wrinkle height were observed after moisturizer application.

Conclusions:

The developed probe is a validated tool for quantitative skin analysis.
It offers potential for diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and skincare efficacy evaluation.
This technology advances portable, high-resolution dermatological assessment.