# Tacmap: Bridging the Tactile Sim-to-Real Gap via Geometry-Consistent Penetration Depth Map Source: [Tacmap: Bridging the Tactile Sim-to-Real Gap via Geometry-Consistent Penetration Depth Map]() Collection index: [llms.txt]() Data updated: 2026-05-14T05:00:13.174Z Authors: Lei Su, Zhijie Peng, Renyuan Ren, Shengping Mao, Juan Du, Kaifeng Zhang, Xuezhou Zhu Published: 2026-02-25T06:40:59.000Z ## Abstract Vision-Based Tactile Sensors (VBTS) are essential for achieving dexterous robotic manipulation, yet the tactile sim-to-real gap remains a fundamental bottleneck. Current tactile simulations suffer from a persistent dilemma: simplified geometric projections lack physical authenticity, while high-fidelity Finite Element Methods (FEM) are too computationally prohibitive for large-scale reinforcement learning. In this work, we present Tacmap, a high-fidelity, computationally efficient tactile simulation framework anchored in volumetric penetration depth. Our key insight is to bridge the tactile sim-to-real gap by unifying both domains through a shared deform map representation. Specifically, we compute 3D intersection volumes as depth maps in simulation, while in the real world, we employ an automated data-collection rig to learn a robust mapping from raw tactile images to ground-truth depth maps. By aligning simulation and real-world in this unified geometric space, Tacmap minimizes domain shift while maintaining physical consistency. Quantitative evaluations across diverse contact scenarios demonstrate that Tacmap's deform maps closely mirror real-world measurements. Moreover, we validate the utility of Tacmap through an in-hand rotation task, where a policy trained exclusively in simulation achieves zero-shot transfer to a physical robot. ## Recorded benchmark results A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage. - [Tactile Sim-to-Real Fidelity Evaluation on Tacmap Sim-to-Real Square](): Tactile Sim-to-Real Fidelity Evaluation; Tacmap Sim-to-Real Square; Contact Position Error: 0.66. - [Tactile Sim-to-Real Fidelity Evaluation on Tacmap Sim-to-Real Cylinder](): Tactile Sim-to-Real Fidelity Evaluation; Tacmap Sim-to-Real Cylinder; Contact Position Error: 0.96. ## Original sources and implementation [Original paper]() [PDF]()