Octopus-inspired soft robot uses suction intelligence to sense and act

The team from Bristol University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering designed the smart robot, which uses fluid flows of air or water to coordinate suction and movement as octopuses do.

The study shows how a soft robot can use suction flow to stick to objects and to sense its environment and control its own actions. A single suction system reportedly enables the robot to grab delicate items, sense whether it’s touching air, water, or a rough surface, and predict how hard something is pulling on it. The biomimetic robot, detailed in Science Robotics, is said to perform these actions simultaneously without a central computer.

In a statement, lead author Tianqi Yue said: “Last year, we developed an artificial suction cup that mimicked how octopuses stick to rocks using soft materials and water sealing.

“This research brings that work on, from using a suction cup like an octopus sucker to connect to objects to using ‘embodied suction intelligence’ - mimicking key aspects of the neuromuscular structure of the octopus in soft robotic systems.”