Chameleon tongues, gecko feet and octopus tentacles are just a few of the animal body parts we've seen inspire soft robotic grippers, but nature still has plenty to offer researchers in this field. A team in Australia is the latest to tap into the world of biomimicry, demonstrating a new type of robotic gripper modeled on an elephant's trunk, with the ability to pick up and release objects even when they're tucked away in confined spaces.The invention is the handiwork of a robotics team working under Dr Thanh Nho Do at Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW), who just a couple of months ago showed off a haptic feedback device that can give gloves a finer sense of touch. This time around the team set out to recreate the gripping abilities of elephants and other animals that are similarly able to embrace objects using their coiling body parts."Animals "These animals can do this because …