Flexible movement and precise gripping: at first glance, the Bionic Handling Assistant appears to be a readily yielding gripping arm whose structure and overall operation are modelled on the elephant's trunk. Over and above its pure utility value, however, the system serves as a development platform that combines a wide diversity of technologies and components.
The system is now being supplemented by a simplified interface for image and speech recognition. The Bionic Handling Assistant is thus now able to autonomously grasp objects, without the need for programming or manual control.