Shape-shifting bots inspired by elephant trunks can bend and grab

By Stephen Beech A new generation of shape-shifting robots — inspired by elephant trunks — can bend, grab and even team up. kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96J 92G6 366? 56D:8?65 E@ 62D:=J 8C:A @3;64ED — H:E9 2 8@2= @7 @?6 52J D6?5:?8 E62>D @7 E96> E@ 2:5 :? DA246 6IA=@C2E:@?]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96J H6C6 56G6=@A65 3J p>6C:42? D4:6?E:DED E@ 255C6DD =:>:E2E:@?D :? 4FCC6?E C@3@E:4 DJDE6>D[ H9:49 2C6 >@C6 4@>>@?=J 3F:=E 7C@> C:8:5 3=@4:E E96 D92A6D E96J 42? 7@C>]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 ?6H C@3@ED H6C6 >256 :?DE625 H:E9 2 56D:8? 2AAC@249 42==65 “E6?D68C:EJ” — :? H9:49 DE:77 C@5D 2C6 96=5 :? A=246 3J 2 H63 @7 E6?D:@?65 423=6D C2E96C E92? 36:?8 C:8:5=J =@4<65 E@86E96C]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%92E >2<6D E96> 7=6I:3=6 2?5 =6ED E96> 36?5[ 4@==2AD6 2?5 492?86 D92A6 2D ?66565[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 DEF5J AF3=:D965 :? E96 ;@FC?2= k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2EFC6]4@>^?2E>249:?E6==^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?:?8 @C E@ >2?:AF=2E6 :E6>D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 C@3@ED H6C6 56G6=@A65 3J 2DD@4:2E6 AC@76DD@C y:2?8F@ +92@ 2?5 9:D E62> :? E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 |6492?:42= t?8:?66C:?8 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4@=@DE2E6]65F^Q E2C86ElQ03=2? D62C49 2?5 C6D4F6 @A6C2E:@?D E@ DFAA@CE:?8 9F>2?D :? 2 >2?F724EFC:?8 D6EE:?8]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 D2:5i “~7E6? E96 A9JD:42= DECF4EFC6 @7 C@3@ED :D 7:I65[ 3FE @FC 2AAC@249 2==@HD E96D6 7=6I:3=6 DJDE6>D E@ 252AE E96:C D92A6 E@ E96:C 6?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 E@ E96 A@E6?E:2==J 492?8:?8 ?665D @7 E96:C >:DD:@? 3J 4@==2AD:?8[ DEC6E49:?8 @C 8C2DA:?8]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%96J 2C6 2=D@ >@5F=2C[ >62?:?8 6249 C@3@E H@C 3:886C[ >@C6 42A23=6 D92A6D]”k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm+92@ D2JD E92E E96 5F2= 4=2H\2EE249>6?E 56D:8? 2G@:565 E96 ?665 7@C >28?6ED[ H9:49 42? D@>6E:>6D 72:= 2D 4@??64E:@? A@:?ED]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 D2:5 E96 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 4=2H 2EE249>6?ED 2?5 3@5J DECF4EFC6 @A6? >2?J A@DD:3:=:E:6D 7@C E96:C 6G6?EF2= FD6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm+92@ 25565i “%96J 42? 36?5 2C@F?5 E@ =:7E 2?5 42CCJ 5:776C6?E D:K65 @3;64ED H:E9 E96:C 3@5J @C E@ ?2G:82E6 5:77:4F=E E6CC2:? =:<6 2 D?2<6 H@F=5]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%96 4=2H\2EE249>6?E 2=D@ C65F46D E96 492?46 @7 >:D2=:8?>6?ED 5FC:?8 4@??64E:@?D — >2<:?8 :E 62D:6C 7@C E96> E@ E62> FA 2?5 7@C> =@@AD[ 492:?D 2?5 3C2?496D @7 5:776C6?E D:K6D E@ 244@>A=:D9 E96:C E2DF5 w2D2? $2:<@E E@@< @G6C E96 C@3@E :?:E:2==J 56D:8?65 3J E62> >6>36C $J5?6J $A:686=[ E96 A2A6C’D @E96C 4@\7:CDE 2FE9@C]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmr$& 5@4E@C2= DEF56?E $2:<@E D2:5 E96 E62> H6?E E9C@F89 D6G6C2= 56D:8? :562D 367@C6 =2?5:?8 @? E96 4FCC6?E G6CD:@? @7 E96 C@3@E:4 2C>D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 D2JD @?6 @7 E96 492==6?86D H2D 7:?5:?8 >@E@CD E92E H6C6 D>2== 6?@F89 E@ DFAA@CE E96 G2C:@FD EJA6D @7 >@G6>6?ED[ 3FE H6C6 2=D@ A@H6C7F= 2?5 C6=:23=6 @G6C =@?86C A6C:@5D @7 E:>6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$2:<@E D2:5 E96 E62> DA6?E 2 =@E @7 E:>6 E6DE:?8 4@?7:8FC2E:@?D 2?5 E2<:?8 E96 C@3@ED :?E@ E96 7:6=5 E@ D66 9@H E96J 92?5=65 4C@DD:?8 ?2EFC2= =2?5D42A6D :? 255:E:@? E@ H@C< :? E96 =23]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 D2JD E96 ?6IE DE6A :? E96 AC@;64E H:== 36 56G6=@A:?8 E96 23:=:EJ 7@C E96 DJDE6>D E@ H@C< H:E9 9F>2?D 2?5 @? E96:C @H?]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 E62> 2=D@ 9@A6D E@ >2<6 E96> @A6C2E6 2E 72DE6C DA665D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm$2:<@E D2:5i “#:89E ?@H[ E96D6 DJDE6>D ?665 E@ 36 A:=@E65 3J 2 9F>2?]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“w@H6G6C[ H6 92G6 2=C625J 56>@?DEC2E65 E92E EH@ C@3@ED 42? 7:?5 6249 @E96C 2?5 4@??64E @? E96:C @H?]”k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmw6 25565i “x? E96 7FEFC6[ H6 42? 6?G:D:@? >@DE=J 2FE@?@>@FD E62>D @7 E6?D @C 6G6? 9F?5C65D @7 E96> — 2EE24965 E9C@F89 E96 4=2HD — EC2G6=:?8 E@ 2 =@42E:@? 2?5 E96? 56A=@J:?8 7@C 2 DA64:7:4 AFCA@D6]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“(:E9 E92E :? >:?5[ H6 H2?E E@ 4@?E:?F6 :>AC@G:?8 E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ H@C< E@86E96C H:E9 >:?:>2= 9F>2? DFA6CG:D:@?]”k^Am