In this paper, a framework for distributed sensor data processing is presented, where sensors with local intelligence preprocess information. A supervisor gathers the information from the sensor nodes and fuses the local sensor estimates into a global estimate, using fuzzy logic-based algorithms. Since a typical system will contain a large number of sensor nodes, the local processing will probably be performed by simple 8- or 16-bit processors. Care is thus taken to make sure that the algorithms perform well on low-end hardware. The concept is then implemented on a sensor system where local sensor processors extract information from tactile matrices, and send the data to a host over a shared serial bus. Using the distributed processing approach yields increased data-acquisition rates and offloads calculations from the system controller.