Bio-inspired design of an artificial muscular hydrostat unit for soft robotic systems

The octopus arms totally lack of rigid skeleton, and show unique motor and manipulation capabilities thanks to the skill of varying and controlling the stiffness. To take inspiration for the design of innovative technological actuators for soft robotic systems, we investigated the architecture of the muscle fibers in the octopus arm, and we measured their mechanical performance in vivo. The key features "extracted" from the octopus arm have been "translated" into engineering specifications, and the identified requirements have been used to design an artificial muscular hydrostat unit, obtaining an actuating component with controllable stiffness capabilities and various applications for a novel generation of soft-bodied robots