Somatosensation

Sensory processing of the body, including mechanical, thermal and other bodily inputs. Touch is one component; not every bodily sensation is a tactile spatial signal.

Perception of mechanical contact or deformation through somatosensory receptors and processing. Discrimination depends on stimulus geometry, body site, exploratory action and task, not solely receptor density.

Perception of object properties through touch and exploratory action, often combining cutaneous and proprioceptive information. Active exploration changes which information becomes available.