A multicontact tactile sensor including a matrix formed of two transparent conducting layers, at least one exhibiting an array of fine conducting tracks, a control circuit including a power supply for one of the layers, and a mechanism detecting the other layer, the sensor having an operating mode of multicontact type corresponding to a sweep of supply to the lines of the corresponding layer, and an operating mode of monocontact type corresponding to a continuous and uniform supply over a whole of the sensor, each operating mode being activated as a function of the detection or nondetection of at least one contact.