Bio-hybrid robot made from langoustine shells works like arcade claw crane

In Switzerland, scientists at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have converted shellfish shells into claws that grip, not unlike the prize-filled claw machines found in arcades.

The team found that the combination of strength and flexibility seen in the shells of langoustines makes them a sustainable alternative to metal claws. They added an elastic material to regulate how the shell segments moved, added a silicon coating to extend the usable life of the claw,  and attached the entire apparatus to a motor element.

The prototype “claws” were able to grip up to 500 grams.