Octopus-Inspired Self-Adaptive Hydrogel Gripper Capable of Manipulating Ultra-Soft Objects

Area of Science:

• Biomimetics and Soft Robotics
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Marine Technology

Background:

• Octopuses exhibit remarkable dexterity in manipulating objects underwater using their flexible arms and suckers.
• Existing soft grippers struggle with the gentle and stable adhesion required for delicate underwater tasks.
• The octopus sucker's infundibulum structure and tentacle flexibility offer a model for advanced gripper design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hydraulically actuated hydrogel soft gripper inspired by octopus anatomy.
• To achieve adaptive maneuverability and gentle, switchable adhesion for underwater applications.
• To demonstrate the gripper's capability in handling fragile objects and assisting underwater robotics.

Main Methods:

• Coupling of hydrogen bond-mediated supramolecular hydrogels with vat polymerization 3D printing.
• Design of a bionic hydrogel sucker with a tunable curvature membrane, negative pressure cavity, and pneumatic chamber.
• Hydraulic actuation for controlled gripper movement and adhesion.

Main Results:

• The developed hydrogel soft gripper successfully demonstrated gentle and reliable adhesion.
• The gripper was capable of grasping fragile food items like egg yolks and tofu underwater.
• Proof-of-concept applications included station-keeping and crawling for underwater robots and vehicles.

Conclusions:

• This study presents a transformative strategy for designing novel soft grippers inspired by octopus biology.
• The hydrogel soft gripper offers promising utilities for underwater exploration and soft robotics.
• The adaptive maneuverability and gentle adhesion capabilities address key challenges in current soft gripper technology.