P&G's Fingertip Ring Sensor Aims to Out-Test Skin Panels

Singapore EDB reports P&G, A*STAR and NTU unveiled HapSense, a ring-shaped wearable said to measure skin feel objectively and speed testing tenfold.

At the 10th anniversary of P&G's Singapore Innovation Centre, the Singapore Economic Development Board reports that P&G, A*STAR and NTU Singapore showcased a patent-pending wearable called HapSense, billed as Singapore's first sensor that measures skin feel. Shaped like a signet ring worn on the fingertip and attached to a smartwatch-like module, the device captures real-time data on friction and pressure as it glides along the skin — measurements the partners describe as objective and independent of a consumer's own perceptions, removing guesswork from how a product's touch experience is assessed.

According to the EDB, conventional skin-testing relies on panels of human reviewers matched to defined demographics, and on subjective consumer surveys — slow, costly and inherently perception-based. The partners say HapSense can speed analysis of skincare cosmetic products by up to 10 times at a fraction of the cost of existing panels, while delivering quantifiable tactile data. For beauty readers, the surprise is that 'how a cream feels' — long the domain of focus groups — could become a lab instrument reading, with Singapore's soft-electronics field positioned to lead the category.

The device caps nearly ten years of research collaboration under a Master Research Collaboration Agreement in place since 2013, which the EDB says has produced more than 30 publications spanning computer vision, neuroscience and skin biology, plus ten patents and two licensed technologies. In 2023 the partners renewed the agreement for five years with S$20 million in joint funding.

The EDB reports the partners see HapSense enabling big-data analysis across years of consistent touch data to guide formulation and personalized skincare regimes for different skin types and demographics, with potential extensions into fabric, hair, baby and feminine care. It lands as the 'neurocosmetic' trend shows both promise and hype: Yahoo reports dermatologist Anetta Reszko told Vogue that skin actively communicates with the brain and immune system, but cautions claims that topicals can lower stress hormones stretch past current evidence. NTU says its next steps are commercializing the technology and setting manufacturing standards for soft electronics.