Chinese roboticists from Beijing’s prestigious Beihang University have created a flexible robotic appendage capable of mimicking the movements of an octopus’s arm.
The research team believes the breakthrough design marks a significant step in soft robotics and human-robot interaction.
The device, which has been named an electronics-integrated soft robotic octopus arm (E-SOAM) has the agility and fluidity of the ultra-intelligent marine mollusc and state-of-the-art technology, wrapped up into a singular futuristic package.
The versatile soft robot is capable of performing a variety of functions, from working in confined spaces, to medical applications and assistance for the elderly or impaired, according to its designers.
E-SOAM’s novelty is that its motion differs from conventional mechanical appendages that use end-effectors and actuators for interaction, according to the senior researcher on the project, Wen Li.
Instead, it relies on ‘bend propagation’, replicating the movement of an octopus’s flexible tentacle reaching out and grasping at prey, often extending its limb length by 50 percent.
One of the primary obstacles Li and his team had to overcome was incorporating the vast amounts of sophisticated sensory, communication and signal processing equipment into the soft-bodied robot arm.
They discovered traditional components, such as circuit boards, were too stiff and unmalleable to be neatly integrated into the design. Their solution, described in their research document published in the peer-reviewed journal, Science Robotics, involved developing circuitry based on liquid metals that could withstand the constant twisting, stretching and contractions E-SOAM performs.
The arm’s unique internal sensory tools allow it to process the robot’s dynamic movement patterns in real-time, and detect minute temperature fluctuations.
E-SOAM is controlled remotely by a slim glove worn on the operator’s index finger. The glove’s haptics accurately mimic the suction and movement of the robot, allowing for precise direction both underwater and in open air. Showcasing their breakthrough, a glove-wearing scientist successfully snagged a toy shark with only a few small movements of his finger.
Wen said he and his team were hopeful E-SOAM could make interactive human-robot experiences a reality, adding that he’d enjoy seeing operators manipulate multiple tentacles simultaneously, comparing the idea to complex movement patterns made by Doctor Octopus, an iconic fictional character made famous in Spiderman comic books and, more recently, Marvel films.
The success of his team’s work has given the scientific community a glimpse at the future of biologically-inspired robots capable of engaging in human environments more organically than previously considered possible, said Wen.
He also said that future enhancements could integrate full-bodied wearable systems, achieving a complete “human-machine interface”.
