China-led team creates soft ‘octopus’ arm in reach for intuitive human-robot interaction
- Electronics-integrated robotic limb combines the octopus’ natural agility with cutting-edge technology for a ‘broader range of capturing’
- Adaptability and dexterity make the E-SOAM ideal for tasks in confined or delicate environments, project lead from Beihang University says
The device could also transform medical and elderly care services, as well as delicate underwater operations.
Capable of being controlled with a finger glove, the highly pliable robotic device could one day give users a shot at playing “Doctor Octopus” from the Marvel films, whose “multiple arms perform various tasks simultaneously”, project lead Wen Li said.
The electronics-integrated soft robotic octopus arm (E-SOAM) combines the natural agility of an octopus with cutting-edge technology.
The team behind the invention wrote about their work in a recently published article in the peer-reviewed journal Science Robotics.
“A key innovation of this robotic design is its departure from traditional mechanical arms that rely on end-effectors for interaction. Instead, the octopus-inspired movements of the E-SOAM enable a broader range of capturing,” Wen said.
