Feb. 27: Science on Tap: How does an octopus control its arms?

February 27: Join us on Feb. 27th at 5:30 p.m. at Rising Silo Brewery for Science on Tap: "How does an octopus control its arms?"

The eight soft arms of an octopus lack bones entirely, instead having a unique muscular architecture that enables these arms to achieve unparalleled flexibility and dexterity. Learn from Virginia Tech assistant professor of mechanical engineering Noel Naughton about the biomechanical and neural control strategies used by octopuses to control their arms — and how studying these principles can aid the creation of robotic octopus arms. You'll get a chance to try out controlling some soft flexible arms and learn firsthand the engineering challenges of creating such robots.

Free and open to the public. Hosted by the Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech's chapter of Sigma Xi.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Bria Weisz at bria@vt.edu during regular business hours least ten days before the event.