Der Oktopus ist ein faszinierendes Lebewesen. Da er kein Skelett besitzt und fast ausschließlich aus weichen Muskeln besteht, gilt er als äußerst flexibel und beweglich. Dadurch kann er aber nicht nur wendig in alle Richtungen schwimmen, sondern auch verschiedenste Gegenstände formschlüssig greifen. Dieses Phänomen macht sich nun der TentacleGripper zu eigen.
Thanks to its soft material, the artificial tentacle not only grips objects gently and safely; it also fulfils the strict criteria of a soft robotics component and thus has great potential for the collaborative workspaces of the future.
With this in mind, we are testing the gripper on not one but two pneumatic lightweight robots that were also developed in the Bionic Learning Network: the BionicMotionRobot and the BionicCobot. Both robots are designed with pliability throughout, and their kinematics can be continually varied to alter their rigidity. They can therefore interact directly with people. Even in the event of a collision, they are safe, and there is no need for a barrier between them and the worker – like there is with conventional factory robots.