A robot’s life sucks thanks to octopuses
THE suckers on octopus tentacles could hold the secret that will help the next generation of robots get a grip.
And university researchers hope their study of the molluscs and their flexible limbs will bring about technology with practical uses in a variety of industries, from farming to building.
The current generation of robots are only able to grasp flat surfaces, so it is hoped it will spell a new era for them.
They could be used as fruit pickers, brick layers and for packaging jobs, tasks which for many years have been impossible for them.
Octo-suction cups are also more energy efficient. Unlike their predecessors they don’t need an air pump, but instead use a system of artificial fluid to grab on to heavy, uneven objects.
The study’s lead author, Tianqi Yue, of the University of Bristol, explained: “Previous robotic suction cups could only work well on flat, smooth surfaces, such as glass, but could not adaptively suck to rough and irregular surfaces due to severe leakage.
“To make the suction cup able to suck to rough and irregular surfaces, the current industrial solution is using a vacuum pump
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to compensate for the leakage, but this is quite expensive, energy-wasting, and noisy.
“Our proposed multi-scale suction cup can adapt well to rough and irregular surfaces without the need for a vacuum pump, hence it will be much lower in cost, energy efficient and quieter, making it suitable for next-generation robotics.
“The most important development is that we successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the combination of mechanical conformation – the use of soft materials to conform to surface shape, and liquid seal – the spread of water on to the contacting surface for improving the suction adaptability on complex surfaces.
“This may also be the secret behind biological organisms’ ability to achieve adaptive suction.”
The team plans to build a more intelligent suction cup, by embedding sensors into it so they can regulate its behaviour and grasp even more complex objects.
They will be working in collaboration with businesses to optimise the technology to suit various needs.
‘Our suction cups can adapt’