It's hard to imagine any group of researchers topping the work of a team from Rice University that turned lifeless wolf spiders into "nec robotic" grippers. You are not the only one who feels a phantom itch.
We don't know how we got here. I'm happy you asked. Let's begin with an understanding of the body. Spiders don't have the same muscles that humans do. They rely on blood pressure and flexor muscles to keep their legs straight. A spider is able to extend their legs because of the pressure in their head. When arachnids die, they curl up. The ability to pressurize their bodies is lost.
The sight of a dead spider inspired the team from Rice University to explore the possibility of using one as a gripper. The assistant professor of engineering said that soft robotics is a lot of fun because they get to use previously undiscovered materials. This is a line of inquiry. It's something that hasn't been used before, but has a lot of potential.
The process of turning spiders into robots that could lift more than their own body weight was easy once the team knew how spiders move their legs. A needle was tapped into the arachnids prosoma chamber and secured with superglue. The researchers were able to deliver a small amount of air to the spider's body by attaching a handheld device to the other side. It was suitable for about 1000 open and close cycles.
Microelectronics assembly and insect capture are possible use cases. It is difficult to imagine anyone selling nec robotic wolf spiders at scale. You at least know how spiders move their limbs. You can tell a friend or family member that you saw a dead one. I'm sure I will.
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