FLEXSHAPEGRIPPER: BRINGS A CHAMELEON-LIKE GRIP TO THE FACTORY FLOOR

Festo's Robotic Gripper Inspired by Lizard's Legendary Tongue-Grip

Festo unveiled several innovative bio-inspired robotic devices, including the impressive bionic ants at Hannover Messe 2015. Equally interesting but not as widely reported was Festo’s FlexShapeGripper, a type of robotic arm that is modelled after a chameleon’s tongue. Chameleon’s are famous for the dexterity and gripping strength of their tongues, which they use as a sort of sticky harpoon to hunt insects. Using an elastic silicone cap that can invert at will, the FlexShapeGripper is able to “pick up, gather and set back down” a whole range of objects in one fluid procedure, without the need for human assistance. Festo believe it will make a significant difference to automated tasks on the factory floor.