"Cooking, Calligraphy, and Injection... 'All-Purpose Tongs' Inspired by Octopus Suckers Released"

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials Develops Adsorption-Type Universal Gripper

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A Korean research team has developed a 'suction-type universal gripper' inspired by the suction cups on octopus tentacles that can grasp any object. It is attracting attention as it can be applied to robots performing complex functions such as cooking, calligraphy, hammering, and vaccine administration.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced on the 13th that a research team led by Senior Researcher Song Seong-hyeok developed a suction-type universal robot gripper resembling an octopus tentacle. This new suction gripper technology advances the vacuum suction gripper technology widely used in industrial sites to the next level. With just a simple suction gripper, it enables complex tasks in daily life such as preparing breakfast, calligraphy, hammering, and vaccine administration, making it a core robot technology for implementing contactless services.

The gripper developed by the research team can firmly fix the position after grasping various objects, allowing various daily tasks to be performed with the grasped objects. It was developed based on how an octopus uses its tentacles and suction cups simultaneously to grasp various objects well. Just as an octopus first wraps its tentacles around an object to grasp it, the gripper is designed to envelop the object when it touches it.

To realize this, the research team arranged fine wire structures in parallel on the flexible surface of the gripper so that when an object begins to press the fine wires, the gripper structure contracts toward the object. Also, just as an octopus's suction cups change shape according to the detailed form of an object to adhere stably, the flexible holes on the gripper surface change according to the object's detailed shape while enveloping it, allowing close contact and strong suction. The flexible holes have a honeycomb-shaped soft structure, enabling effective adhesion even to objects with severely uneven surfaces.

The outer structure of the newly developed suction universal gripper can be changed in real-time to be either firm or soft, inspired by how an octopus changes the firmness of its tentacles.

Senior Researcher Song Seong-hyeok explained, "After grasping an object, the outer structure of the gripper hardens, fixing the position of the object firmly, which enables various daily tasks with the grasped object."

The research team confirmed that this suction-type universal gripper can not only simply grasp objects in daily life but also perform various contactless services. For example, during breakfast preparation, it can hold a spatula to flip and cook hotteok, and it can handle objects such as inkstones, ink, rice paper, and brushes for calligraphy, enabling brush writing motions. It also succeeded in various actions such as handling vaccine vials and syringes needed for vaccine administration.

Park Chan-hoon, head of the Robotics Mechatronics Research Division at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, said, "The developed suction-type universal gripper is the world's first technology that can perform complex tasks with simple suction without motors or complicated mechanical mechanisms," and added, "It is expected to play a significant role in developing contactless service robots that need to effectively handle various objects in diverse situations in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.