Having the ability to grab and release these underwater objects like heavy rocks, small shells, and soft beads, and other debris could be a powerful tool for underwater salvage and even rescue operations. Their findings have been published in Advanced Science.
This work was performed with undergraduate researchers Austin Via, Aldo Heredia, and Daniel Adjei from Virginia Tech. Graduate Research Assistant Chanhong Lee was first author on the paper, reporting research supported by the National Science Foundation through the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future program.
I am fascinated with how an octopus in one moment can hold something strongly, then release it instantly. It does this underwater, on objects that are rough, curved, and irregular – that is quite a feat, Bartlett said.
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