Jul 8, 2026 · cs.ROJ/K move · Enter open · S save
Giovanna A. Naselli, Anderson B. Nardin, Seonggun Joe, Ryan Drinkwater+5
Soft BioRobotics Perception Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, GE, Italy · Department of Autonomous Systems Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, Seoul, South Korea · Photocentric Ltd., Peterborough PE1 5XN, United Kingdom · BRAIR lab, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56025 Pontedera, Italy · Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution, Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 30, Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
The elephant trunk is a dexterous and versatile manipulator whose performance is still unmatched in robotics. In previous works, modularity was prioritized and relatively small-scale continuum robots were built. We take the natural proboscis of the Loxodonta africana species as a model and propose a different design approach which favors structural continuity and dynamic properties that plausibly emulate those of the natural trunk, while conferring high adaptability to the environment and humans. Instead of targeting prescribed behaviors, we show that a biomimetic design based on the macroscopic properties of the natural system enables elephant-like movements and grasping. We build by 3D printing an 85 cm long, compliant, tapered, volumetrically tessellated continuum arm, which is combined with tendon-driven actuation mimicking the longitudinal and oblique muscles of the natural model. We demonstrate whole-body grasping of objects having different shapes and dimensions and discuss a comparison to the biological trunk highlighting aspects of both biology and robotics.