{"ID":2848598,"CreatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","UpdatedAt":"2026-06-01T04:54:23.091178241Z","DeletedAt":null,"paper_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.25520","arxiv_id":"2510.25520","title":"Octopus-like Reaching Motion: A Perspective Inspired by Whipping","abstract":"The stereotypical reaching motion of the octopus arm has drawn growing attention for its efficient control of a highly deformable body. Previous studies suggest that its characteristic bend propagation may share underlying principles with the dynamics of a whip. This work investigates whether whip-like passive dynamics in water can reproduce the kinematic features observed in biological reaching and their similarities and differences. Platform-based whipping tests were performed in water and air while systematically varying material stiffness and driving speed. Image-based quantification revealed that the Ecoflex Gel 2 arm driven at 150 rpm (motor speed) reproduced curvature propagation similar to that observed in octopus reaching. However, its bend-point velocity decreased monotonically rather than exhibiting the biological bell-shaped profile, confirming that the octopus reaching movement is not merely a passive whipping behavior. The absence of propagation in air further highlights the critical role of the surrounding medium in forming octopus-like reaching motion. This study provides a new perspective for understand biological reaching movement, and offers a potential platform for future hydrodynamic research.","short_abstract":"The stereotypical reaching motion of the octopus arm has drawn growing attention for its efficient control of a highly deformable body. Previous studies suggest that its characteristic bend propagation may share underlying principles with the dynamics of a whip. This work investigates whether whip-like passive dynamics...","url_abs":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.25520","url_pdf":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2510.25520v3","authors":"[\"Shengyao Zhang\",\"Yiyuan Zhang\",\"Chenrui Zhang\",\"Yiming Li\",\"Wenci Xin\",\"Yuliang Liufu\",\"Hong Wei Ng\",\"Cecilia Laschi\"]","published":"2025-10-29T13:43:18Z","proceeding":"cs.RO","tasks":"[\"cs.RO\",\"physics.bio-ph\"]","methods":"[]","has_code":false}