South Korean Research Institute Develops World’s First Elephant-Trunk-Inspired Gripper

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) announced on October 25, 2022, that it had developed the world’s first gripper modeled on an elephant’s trunk. The gripper can grasp objects ranging from needle-like small items to large objects such as boxes.

According to KIMM, the gripper can grasp objects ranging from thin items such as injection needles to large objects such as boxes using the same structure. It combines claw-type and suction mechanisms and can grasp and assemble objects without complex mechanical devices or sensors, making it relevant to the design of machines that handle both small parts and large loads with the same end effector.