An octopus’s arms are covered with thousands of suction cups. These suckers help the animal get a tight grip on slippery underwater objects. Now a new device, called the Octa-glove, allows people to do the same thing.
The Octa-glove has suction cups on each fingertip. When the glove touches an object, a sensor activates each sucker. This allows the user to automatically grip underwater objects.
Michael Bartlett, an engineering professor from Virginia Tech, helped develop the Octa-glove. He hopes the invention will help solve everyday challenges in fields like underwater search and rescue, archaeology, and marine biology.