Developed by Japanese researcher Ryota Shijo, this soft robotic tongue uses compliant elastomer materials, embedded actuation, and biomimetic motion control to replicate human licking behaviors. Surface coatings simulate saliva, enhancing tactile realism for emotional bonding, therapeutic use, elderly care, and advanced social robotics applications. 🎥: Ryota Shijo | Interesting Engineering

Taking inspiration from nature, SEAS researchers designed a new type of soft, robotic gripper that uses a collection of thin tentacles to entangle and ensnare objects, similar to how jellyfish collect stunned prey. Alone, individual tentacles, or filaments, are weak. But together, the collection of filaments can grasp and securely hold heavy and oddly shaped objects. The gripper relies on simple inflation to wrap around objects and doesn’t require sensing, planning, or feedback control. Credit: