News Tech

This octopus-inspired glove helps humans grip slippery objects

The tool could be useful in search and rescue efforts and to scientists who work underwater

photo of someone's hand wearing a wetsuit glove with octopus suckers

This wetsuit glove equipped with octopus-inspired suckers can stick to both curved and flat objects made of different materials.

Photo by Alex Parrish for Virginia Tech

By Maria Temming

A new high-tech glove totally sucks — and that’s a good thing.

Each fingertip is outfitted with a sucker inspired by those on octopus arms. These suckers allow people to grab slippery, underwater objects without squeezing too tightly, researchers report July 13 in Science Advances.