This strange robotic octopus could soon be working with humans
A robotic octopus tentacle may sound like the stuff of nightmares, but the idea is actually a lot less creepy than it sounds.
Inspired by the eight-legged ocean creature’s soft muscle, the OctopusGripper wasdesigned by German robotics company Festo to work safely alongside humans.
The OctopusGripper is made from a soft silicone structure which would be completely harmless to humans in the event of an accidental collision.
It can also grip a host of different object of varying sizes.
“If compressed air is applied to it, the tentacle bends inwards and can wrap around the respective item being gripped in a form-fitting and gentle manner,” Festo explains.
The robotics team added the OctopusGripper does not have to be shielded from workers like conventional factory robots, offering potential for a more collaborative human-robot working space in the future.
Festo added: “The octopus is a fascinating creature. As it has no skeleton and is made almost entirely of soft muscle, it is also extremely flexible and manoeuvrable.
“This not only means it can swim agilely in all directions, but also grip a wide range of objects in a form-fitting manner. The OctopusGripper now takes makes this phenomenon its own.”
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