New ‘octa-glove’ inspired by octopus tentacles can help humans grab slippery objects underwater

‘Just move your hand toward an object, and the glove does the work to grasp’

Engineers have developed a new type of glove, inspired by an octopus’s tentacles, that allows the wearer to simply hover their hand over an object to grip it.

The “Octa-glove” can tightly grip objects underwater, potentially aiding robotic innovations for underwater exploration and healthcare, said a study in the journal Science Advances.

With the human hand not well equipped to hold on to slippery things underwater, scientists at Virginia Tech in the US point out that handling delicate objects poses a challenge for rescue divers, underwater archaeologists and bridge engineers.