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ISSN 0261-2097 (Print)
ISSN 2049-2324 (Online)
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NEWS | E UREKA!
SROEAB OANTIECM GORNIPEP IENRSPIRED
A TEAM OF scientists from
China’s Tsinghua University and
Southwest University of Science
and Technology have developed
a highly exible, low-cost robotic
gripper that mimics how sea
anemones capture their prey.
The torus-shaped gripper
captures and releases objects
by crimping its thermoplastic
skin, controlled by liquid pressure
in the ring. By adjusting factors
such as the length of the skin and
the direction in which it rolls, the
researchers were able to control
whether objects were grabbed,
fully engulfed, or released.
“We found that sea anemones
can capture sea creatures with
di erent shapes and sizes, so
we decided to investigate the
mechanism of the predation
strategy,” said Weifeng Yuan,
author of the study.
The team tested the device
by latching onto objects ranging
from a piece of cloth to a glass
beaker lled with liquid. According
to Yuan, the gripper’s biggest
strengths are its simplicity and
versatility. It has the potential to
grasp fragile objects in con ned
spaces, as well as operate in
extreme environments such as
the deep sea. The simplicity of the
grabbing mechanism also gives it a
potential advantage.
“In industries, multi- ngered
dexterous hands are widely used
to perform grabbing tasks, said
Yuan. “However, these ende
ectors consist of a large number
of components, like joints and
sensors, which are di cult to
control.”
According to the team, future
improvements could involve
increasing the strength-to-weight
ratio by using pneumatics rather
than hydraulics as the actuating
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6 WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK | FEBRUARY 2020
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