In this episode, we interviewed Ian Walker, a professor at Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clemson University. Walker's research centers on robotics, particularly novel manipulators and manipulation. His group is conducting basic research in the construction, modeling, and application of biologically-inspired "trunk, tentacle, and worm" robots. Their work is strongly motivated by the dexterous appendages found in cephalopods, particularly the arms and suckers of octopus, and the arms and tentacles of a squid. The ongoing investigation of these animals reveals interesting functional aspects of their structure and behavior.
