The Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed China's first adaptive hydrogel bionic suction cup, offering a solution to core challenges in underwater grasping and precise operations, and providing crucial technical support for the upgrade of related industries.

Researchers at the institute designed a supramolecular hydrogel material that combines exceptional softness with high tear resistance to meet the demands of delicate grasping tasks. Leveraging 3D-printing precision manufacturing, they created a suction cup structure integrating curved membranes and micro-channels. Structural optimization has enabled the suction cup to adaptively conform to surfaces of varying materials and shapes, achieving gentle yet secure adhesion.

"We drew inspiration from the octopus. The biggest part of our innovation lies in the suction cup's structure we designed while mimicking the deformation of the octopus's tentacles. Tiny air channels were embedded so the cup can actively generate suction, allowing it to grip ultra-soft objects without causing damage," said Wang Xiaolong, a researcher at LICP.

The newly-developed hydrogel bionic suction cup is expected to be applied in deep-sea resource exploration, high-end industrial manufacturing, precision medical operations and other critical sectors, with the potential for solving the limitations of traditional grasping technologies in complex environments and driving technological innovation and industrial upgrade in relevant sectors.