GelSight Previewed at Siggraph '09

I can imagine multiple uses for MIT's GelSight technology which was domo'ed at Siggraph '09 in New Orleans.

"GelSight measures the texture and geometry of objects that touch its surface. The sensor is made of clear elastomer (a gel-like material) with a painted skin. Viewed from behind, an object pressed into the sensor appears as a shaded surface with a uniform reflectance. These properties allow for 3D reconstruction of the object's surface."