Unleashing Enhanced Compressive Strength: 3D Printed Octopus-Inspired Suction Cups Using Topological Engineering

Nature’s intricate designs and efficient functionality have evolved over millions of years to thrive in challenging environments while minimizing energy consumption and ecological impact. Inspired by nature’s strategies, the manufacturing industry and academic research strive to develop materials and designs that exhibit high strength. The octopus, a remarkable marine creature, exemplifies a complex and adaptive design. It has eight arms aligned with numerous tactile suction cups having a specialized geometry and cavity. This study employed fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers to model and fabricate octopus-inspired suction cups. We examined different aspect ratios and shapes of cavities, such as cuboids, cylinders, and octopus suction cup cavities, while maintaining similar outer geometry. The compressive test proved that the inside cavity plays a significant role in enhancing strength due to stress distribution and is represented as a robust biomimetic design. The finite element analysis (FEA) is also developed to corroborate the experimental findings. The statistical validation of the experimental results is achieved through a multilinear regression equation. Our findings demonstrate that the naturally evolved octopus structure exhibits superior compressive strength, enhanced energy absorption, and the ability to generate negative pressure, rendering it highly suitable for gripping, suction, and shock-absorption applications.