Peripheral control enabled by distributed sensing in an octopus-inspired soft robotic arm for autonomous underwater grasping

Abstract

Octopuses exhibit remarkable motor dexterity through distributed sensing and control in their flexible arms. Inspired by this biological model, we present a tendon-driven soft robotic arm featuring optoelectronic mechanosensors embedded in suction cups and a hierarchical behaviour-based control architecture. Each artificial sucker integrates light-emitting diodes and phototransistors to detect contact force and direction via light reflection, achieving high sensitivity (~400 mV N−1 in the 0–2-N range) and directional accuracy (error, <18°). The sensors operate reliably in dry and wet environments with minimal drift and hysteresis. Their compact, modular design facilitates system integration. The hierarchical control architecture enables local reflexes at the suction cup level and global coordination for autonomous grasping. The system reliably detects contact events, estimates force and direction and infers object position relative to the arm, enabling purposeful interaction. This work advances sensor-integrated soft robotics, demonstrating the potential of biologically inspired designs for adaptive grasping in unstructured environments. Del Dottore et al. present an octopus-inspired soft robotic arm that uses optoelectronic mechanosensors in its suction cups to detect contact forces and infer object positions.