Abstract: An opto-electronic sensor includes a deformable body that has a gripping surface, securable to and movable by a gripper to a position at which the gripper surface contacts an object, and includes optical waveguides positioned within the deformable body, each optical waveguide including a gap. The deformable body is configured to exhibit a lateral deflection responsive to receiving via the gripping surface a lateral force from the object. The deformable body and the one or more optical waveguides are mutually configured to produce a corresponding change in the gap of the one or more optical waveguides responsive to the lateral deflection. The change in the gap is detectable as a change in a light intensity, by a light source and a light detector. The lateral force is computed using the detected change.