The soft robotics team at the BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Italy has tested an octopus-inspired robot that eerily replicates the complex, fluid movements of its cephalopod counterpart.
Soft robots can take advantage of completely different types of mobility than other types of walking bots. The octopus-inspired tentacles can traverse rough terrain, or act as grasping hands to pick up objects or move debris.
The project has been underway since 2009. Researcher Cecilia Laschi, who helped launch the octopus project, recently spoke to the IEEE about her work and how to replicate the squishy action of the octopus’ muscles with robotic soft actuators.
Videos and more can be found at IEEE.
