FURI | Fall 2021

Characterization of Octopus Arms Using EMG Studies

Soft robotics incorporates physically flexible bodies and electronics into robots to achieve organic movements for carrying out tasks. The octopus is a soft-bodied animal and bioinspired insights can be gained by studying its muscles. Electromyography (EMG) studies the electrical activity of an octopus arm’s muscle response and distinguishes the degree that each muscle is involved in tension, compression, bending, or twisting movements. The characterized muscle activity will guide the design and construction of soft robotics that can mimic this complex and valuable behavior.