Advances and Applications of Bionic Design and Functional Integration in Underwater Soft Grippers

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Robotics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Underwater operations face challenges in flexibility and adaptability.
• Marine organisms like octopuses and jellyfish exhibit unique structures for grasping and movement.
• Existing underwater technologies lack the dexterity and environmental responsiveness of biological systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review research progress in bionic underwater soft grasping devices.
• To analyze design inspirations, material applications, and sensing/driving integration from marine organisms.
• To highlight the potential of soft robotics in transforming underwater operations.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of bionic structures and tactile sensing in underwater soft grasping.
• Analysis of marine organism characteristics (e.g., suction cups, umbrella-like muscles, stinging cells) for design inspiration.
• Review of soft robotics technologies including shape memory alloys (SMA), ionic polymer metal composite materials (IPMCs), and magnetic nanocomposite cilia.

Main Results:

• Bionic soft robots leverage marine organism designs for enhanced underwater manipulation.
• Innovative materials and integrated sensing/driving systems are key to bionic soft robot functionality.
• Soft robots demonstrate significant potential for improved flexibility, efficiency, and environmental adaptability in underwater tasks.

Conclusions:

• Bionic soft robots offer a paradigm shift for underwater operations, inspired by nature's designs.
• This research provides a framework for developing advanced underwater soft operation systems.
• The findings promote innovation in deep-sea exploration and ecological protection equipment through bio-inspired robotics.