Imma Perfetto
Cosmos science journalist
Octopus’ abilities which inspire films like Octopussy and Spider-Man are being replicated by science, with surprising results.
In one lab in the US, scientists followed in the footsteps of Spider-Man’s archenemy Doctor Octopus by designing octopus-inspired adhesive to augment human abilities.
And in a lab across the seas in China, scientists have created a soft robotic “finger” which they say has: “a sophisticated sense of touch.”
The adhesive is inspired by the outer structure of an octopus’ sucker, the infundibulum. It has an elastic, curved stalk and deformable membrane that can change its shape depending on the surface to which it sticks.
Precise manipulation of complex underwater objects with an octopus-inspired adhesive to construct a rock pile. Credit: Video by Chanhong Lee and Michael Bartlett for Virginia Tech.
According to a new study in the journal Advanced Science, the adhesive can attach to and release complex objects: from shells as light as 2.5g; to rocks heavier than 870g; and soft gel beads of different roughness, curvature, and hardness.
In 2022, Cosmos reported on the invention of the “Octa-glove” designed by the same team. The glove, which has suckers at each fingertip, is intended to help humans better hold onto slippery objects underwater.
The recently published research could make the grip even stronger.
“We hope to utilise our new adhesive design to further improve Octa-Glove,” says Michael Bartlett, who leads the Soft Materials and Structures Lab at Virginia Tech.
“Underwater environments present a long list of challenges, and this advance gets us over another hurdle. We’re now closer than ever to replicating the incredible ability of an octopus to grip and manipulate objects with precision, opening up new possibilities for exploration and manipulation of wet or underwater environments.”
Meanwhile, researchers in China have developed a gentler alternative to Doc Ock’s set of deadly octopus-inspired arms.
Their soft robotic “finger” has a sophisticated sense of touch, which allows it to sense both how far it bends as it touches an object and the force at the fingertip. They say it could one day perform routine doctor’s office examinations, including taking a patient’s pulse and checking for abnormal lumps.
“By further development to improve its efficiency, we believe that a dexterous hand made of such fingers can act as a ‘Robodoctor’ in a future hospital, like a physician,” says Hongbo Wang of the University of Science and Technology of China, co-author of the study in Cell Reports Physical Science.
“Combined with machine learning, automatic robotic examination and diagnosis can be achieved, particularly beneficial for these undeveloped areas where there is a serious shortage in health workers.”
