Turns out robot maker Festo did more than just dream about robot tentacle arms; they instantiated their idea, using elephant trunks as their model. Take a look at this demonstration video.
(Festo Bionic Arm)
I was also fascinated by the fabrication process, which creates lightweight, flexible and energy-efficient robotic manipulators.
Festo has been very creative in the last few years; take a look at some of their work:
Festo Aqua Ray Robot
Aqua_ray is a remote-controlled fish driven by water hydraulics, the shape and movements of which have been based on the model of a manta ray.
Robot Arm With Fluidic Muscles
The company describes it as a "combination of mechatronics and the biological model of a human being."
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Illustrating Classic Heinlein With AI
'Stasis, cold sleep, hibernation, hypothermia, reduced metabolism, call it what you will - the logistics-medicine research teams had found a way to stack people like cordwood and use them when needed.'
Deflector Plasma Screen For Drones ala Star Wars
'If the enemy persists in attacking or even intensifies their power, the density of the plasma in space will suddenly increase, causing it to reflect most of the incoming energy like a mirror.'