Robotics

Robotic elephant-trunk gripper uses internal camera for a sense of touch

Maryna Holovnova — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 21:36:52 GMT

Evolution has already found solutions to lots of problems, so engineers more often borrow ideas from nature instead of reinventing the wheel. We’ve previously seen robots that can curl up like armadillos to protect themselves, and now researchers have developed yet another soft robotic gripper that mimics the tip of an elephant’s trunk. It’s called EleTac and, according to its creators, can actually “feel” the objects it touches.

Robotics

Robotic elephant-trunk gripper uses internal camera for a sense of touch

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