Robots get a helping hand from bugs and invertebrates

Researchers at Tohoku University have designed a new robotic system that uses woodlice and chitons as end effectors for robotic arms. The team 3D printed tiny seats for the animals to sit on at the end of the robot's manipulator arm, then set the woodlice and chitons to task, picking up tufts of cotton and submerged cork, respectively. The team's work raises ethical questions about the test animals' welfare, but the system shows promise for underwater applications where suction cups and similar mechanical methods have difficulties.