In the search for robots that can effectively manipulate objects, researchers often model the human hand. It's not an easy road. The complexity of the human hand, with its intricate network of bones, muscles and tendons, is extreme. The amount of calculations required to properly control the grip force and position of a robotic hand is staggering. What if there was another way? A tentacle robot that draws inspiration from the fluid movements of sea creatures?
That's what they've been asking at Harvard for a good year. Their study (that I link to you here) features a set of pneumatically controlled tentacles. The tentacle robot can gently and reliably grasp irregularly shaped objects without the need for machine learning or a multitude of sensors. Not an insignificant step forward, right?
Tentacle vs. hand: the challenge of robotic grasping
Imagine having to build a robot that can grasp a variety of objects, whether fragile eggs or modern sculptures. With a traditional robotic hand, you would have to program a more complex algorithm than a 730, considering every possible angle, pressure and movement. A nightmare for programmers (and a potential disaster for eggs).
With a robotic tentacle the matter is considerably simplified. A group of flexible filaments can wrap smoothly around any shape, adapting to irregularities like an octopus hug. No more complicated calculations or endless sensors: just a little compressed air and away you go, the object is gripped firmly but delicately.
Marine inspiration for a gentle grip
Harvard researchers, needless to say, took inspiration from the undisputed masters of underwater manipulation: Octopus, squid and the like. Biomimicry, baby. The “tentacle company” has perfected the art of grabbing prey without crushing it, thanks to flexible limbs and suction cups.
Sure, our tentacle robot doesn't have suction cups, at least for now, but it makes up for it with its ability to intertwine filaments and create a sort of "basket" around the object. A bit like a fishing net, but much gentler (and without the risk of ending up in fish soup).
The key word? Simplicity
The robots of the future will do without many superstructures. No cutting-edge microchips or head-spinning algorithms, just a well-thought-out pneumatic system. The Harvard tentacle robot's 12 elastomeric filaments, 300 mm long, bend when pressure of up to 172 kPa is applied. All segments are the same size and are controlled by the same pressure source.
It's a bit like that mechanical arm that is used to (rarely) catch stuffed animals in amusement ride machines, but much more precise and less inclined to waste time and money.
Tentacle robot, many potential applications
The tentacle robot is versatile by nature: it could help stoke a fire, or help in the kitchen, gently stirring salad. Turn the dough. Assist a surgeon during an operation by holding tissue in place without damaging it. The applications are limited only by our imagination (and perhaps our ancestral fear of tentacles).
This study paves the way for a new way of conceiving robotics, far from the rigidity and complexity of human hands. In a world where robots are increasingly present in our lives, from the factory to the home, this breakthrough could make their interaction with us and with objects more natural and less threatening.
But one thing is for sure: the future of robotics is soft, flexible, and a little more octopus-like than we ever imagined. And if that means having robots that can grab objects without breaking them or shake hands without crushing them, I'm also ready to have a tentacle for a friend. As long as you don't steal food from my plate, of course.
