The good folks at Festo are up to their usual biomimicry mischief again. This time, they’ve made a robotic appendage based on the fluid dexterity of an elephant trunk. The “hands” of this new mechanical arm are sensitive enough to grab items as fragile as a tomato without harming them, making it ideal for manufacturing.

The “bionic handling assistant” brings to mind the tentacles of a certain Spiderman villain, but we’re hoping it will be used for good rather than evil.

[BotJunkie]

Image: Ian Wilson/Flickr

Filed under: Computer, e-News, Electrical, Industrial / Manufacturing, Mechanical

Tags: Biomimicry, Electrical, Industrial / Manufacturing, Mechanical, Robotics