Genoa (Italy), 8 June 2026 - The oceans hide some of the most sophisticated solutions that nature has ever developed and are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the robotics of the future as well. The Bioinspired Soft Robotics research unit, coordinated by Barbara Mazzolai, Associate Director for Robotics at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT – Italian Institute of Technology), has developed an octopus-inspired soft robotic arm that, thanks to the technology embedded in its artificial suction cups, is capable of sensing contact, estimating the intensity and direction of the applied force, and grasping objects autonomously, even in complex environments such as underwater settings.
The study, published in Nature Machine Intelligence , represents a significant advancement in the field of soft robotics: the device is indeed among the first examples of a soft manipulator equipped with tactile sensors integrated into the suction cups, which enable touch-based autonomous manipulation.
At the core of IIT's Bioinspired Soft Robotics laboratory are two key elements: soft robotics and bioinspiration. The term "soft robotics" refers to soft materials and deformable structures —alternatives to the more rigid ones used in traditional robotics — which allow for a more natural interaction with the surrounding environment and with humans. Bioinspiration, on the other hand, consists of studying biological systems and mechanisms found in nature to develop innovative new technologies. The laboratory led by Barbara Mazzolai is recognized as a pioneer in this field at the international level
The device developed by IIT is inspired by the octopus, an animal known for its extraordinary ability to manipulate objects thanks to flexible arms equipped with sensitive suction cups and a distributed nervous system, in which a large amount of information is processed directly within the arms.
This milestone is part of a broader research effort dedicated to developing octopus-inspired robotic arms. In recent studies, IIT researchers first developed computational tools to identify the optimal arrangement of cables inside a soft arm, so as to reproduce natural movements using the fewest possible number of actuators (Wiley Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2026). Subsequently, they developed innovative 3D-printed soft endoskeletons that make it possible to physically implement these complex three-dimensional pathways within the robotic body, while maintaining high softness and manufacturing simplicity (IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2026).
With this latest study, the research team has taken a further step forward, translating the octopus's unique biological strategy into a robotic architecture that combines distributed tactile sensing and decentralized control.
The robotic arm prototype is equipped with artificial silicone suction cups incorporating miniaturized optical sensors developed through mathematical models. When a suction cup comes into contact with an object, the deformation of the structure alters the reflection of the light emitted by internal LEDs. In this way, the system can estimate the intensity and direction of the applied force. The information gathered by the sensors is processed by a control system that coordinates both the individual suction cups—which are capable of reacting quickly by activating adhesion—and the overall movements of the arm, such as bending, twisting, and wrapping, allowing the robot to grasp objects effectively and adaptively. The system can detect even very weak stimuli and operate both in the air and underwater.
"By integrating sensors and signal processing directly into the suction cups, the arm reacts to contact in real time and precisely, without relying on centralized control. The result is a scalable and robust system designed to operate in complex environments, including underwater," comments Emanuela Del Dottore, first author of the study.
The system is highly modular: the number and arrangement of the suction cups along the arm can be easily modified according to specific needs. This flexibility makes it possible to adapt the robot to different application requirements, optimizing both the grasping points and the ability to perceive the surrounding environment.
"We drew inspiration from the octopus to develop a robotic system in which perception and action are integrated and distributed throughout the body. This approach allows the robot to interpret contact and adapt its grip autonomously, simply, and naturally," explains Barbara Mazzolai, Principal Investigator of the Bioinspired Soft Robotics laboratory and Associate Director of Robotics at IIT.
Potential applications range from the handling of fragile objects and biological systems in underwater environments to inspection and maintenance in hostile industrial and natural settings. The team will work to expand the range of objects the arm can grasp and increase its payload capacity, making the system even more adaptable to different applications and paving the way for robots capable of operating in complex and hard-to-reach environments.
This research was co-funded by RAISE (Robotics and AI for Socio-economic Empowerment), a project funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) under Investment 1.5 (M4C2) of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
