Researchers are re-purposing animal parts that could be useful to new robots. The latest entries in that field are 3D-printed robotic suckers, which mimic the suction ability of a squid or octopus. It may one day help tomorrow’s robots grip objects, move around and, of course, one day restrain human prisoners. Until that day, though, they will be pretty cool.
Gripping and manipulating objects is another place where our prejudices may influence our thoughts on what’s actually the best way to hold something. Working robotic fingers are pretty hard to make, though. More than that, a human hand and finger may not be the right tool for the job on an emergency-response robot built to squeeze into cramped spaces, for example.
That’s where a tentacle could come in handy. And no species has a better developed tentacle than the octopus, whose strong, flexible limbs are covered in hundreds of tiny suckers. Each of these exert suction pressure independently, offering it unprecedented control, along with excellent grip strength.
That blend of high strength and fine control is what a team of engineers, led by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, is hoping to replicate with their robotic suckers. Printed using an advanced, multi-material-ready 3D printer, the self-sealing suckers are powered by a central vacuum that applies suction when a sucker comes into contact with an object. That means no suction is wasted on powering grippers that aren’t gripping anything. The ones that are gripping are then more focused and powerful.
The suckers — which already demonstrate enough power to lift a wine bottle — could be applied not only to tentacles robots, but those with more traditional limbs to increase their grip strength. The research team is currently focused on testing different types of materials to make sure they’re building the suckiest sucker possible.
Source : Mashable
