They are embedded in prosthetic hands, restoring the sensation of touch.

FORBES: Why Sensors Are a Force of Context

As expected, they found increased activity in the somatosensory cortex (the part of the brain responsible for the sensation of touch) when a volunteer was tickled either by a member of the team, or by himself.

ECONOMIST: Neuroscience: Tickled curiosity | The

In fact, the Borg Queen had tempted Data, by granting the android the sensation of human touch.

FORBES: Why Picard Still Kicks Ass

The company's had a knack for thinking outside the rectangular box and coming up with cleverly built handsets -- the Sensation series and Touch Diamond come to mind -- but it seems to have cranked the focus up another notch this year.

ENGADGET: HTC Droid DNA review Mobile

Then there's Dozo, the sexy singing sensation whose music video Don't Touch Me was the hit of this year's Siggraph, the premier computer graphics show.

FORBES