Festo's strong and agile robot arm is based on the elephant's trunk, scares the bejesus out of us (video)

Festo's unveiled some pretty impressive tech over the years, from fluidic muscles to robotic flying penguins, but this next one has us a bit worried. The Bionic Handling Assistant is ostensibly patterned after the elephant's trunk, designed to be both agile and delicate... but have you seen the thing? We're pretty sure that it was patterned after the tentacles of Doctor Octopus, and that it will crush you and everyone you care about without a second thought. But if you're the trusting type, the company assures you that this is just the thing for all those delicate processes you've been meaning to automate but haven't been able to in the past: everything from handling fruit to animal husbandry is a cinch with this "hierarchically arranged system of muscles and evolutionary optimized movement patterns"! But don't take our word for it: peep the video after the break.

[ECH Posted Apr 26th 2010 9:20AM]

Good thing for Festo that Marvel isn't Apple.

Otherwise, lawsuit in 3... 2... 1...

[commonman Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:06AM]

Does it do anything functional other than exchanging huge butt plugs?

[imonaboat Posted Apr 26th 2010 10:53AM]

Robotic Gould Symbiote? Teal'c does not approve.

[nimrodblack Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:04AM]

Pffft an elephants trunk can also move liquids and probably smell stuff too. So much for your giant Plastic Peanut! < /sarcasm >

[pomokey Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:05AM]

That looked very unstable, and it was moving quite slowly. I highly doubt its a flaw with the control system, and it's more likely a fault of the design. I can't imagine these things running any faster than they currently are.

[TCrimson05 Posted Apr 26th 2010 11:22AM]

.....ok, but if the guy with the suppository bursts into my house asking for some "precious tridium" he's gonna be outta luck....just sold the last on EBay...

[EliteOfficer Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:24PM]

That's pretty sweet, a robotic device made to move an object two feet when I could easily throw it ten feet.

[hutch2509 Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:24PM]

KILL IT WITH FIRE!

[Ironhide Delta Posted Apr 26th 2010 12:35PM]

Wow. did you catch how the claw fingers flexed around the suppository looking bit? Must be a way of gripping fragile things without excessive force. Like necks and limbs. They've terminator-proofed this arm. Robot overlords can't use THIS tech to strangle humans!

[OlYeller21 Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:13PM]

Is this some kind of robot porn?

[MrArmageddon Posted Apr 26th 2010 1:32PM]

While watching the video, images of the Sand Worms from Dune kept popping into my mind...

[creiij Posted Apr 26th 2010 2:19PM]

Having two of those in the kitchen would be awesome =) egg and bacon every morning =)

[travispulley Posted Apr 26th 2010 8:14PM]

@creiij I showed up to the party just a little too late to post this EXTREMELY RELEVANT soviet scifi cartoon with an elephant trunk robot arm thing. It also makes breakfast in the morning! Watch and enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfI69DC_jaw

[jaykimdotnet Posted Apr 26th 2010 5:39PM]

Yeah I just picture these coming out of the sky picking up defenseless humans and tearing them limb from limb.