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" A robotic elephant trunk developed by German engineering firm Festo has acquired basic motor skills through the application of new technology. Using a process called goal babbling, software developers Jochen Steil and Matthias Rolf have enabled the contraption to learn how to grab objects using the same trial-and-error process as a human child.  The so-called Bionic Handling Assistant can now remember what went wrong during each unsuccessful attempt to grasp an item, and make the necessary adjustments to its pneumatic tubes next time. Constructed from 3D-printed segments, the Festo arm has drawn comparisons to the robotic tentacles used by Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus, and also been likened to a &amp;quot;giant alien maggot&amp;quot;. Potential applications for the tech include changing light bulbs and picking fruit. Festo first unveiled the Bionic Handling Assistant as a proof-of-concept in 2010, and it has since been seen shaking hands with German chancellor Angela Merkel. Watch a video introducing Festo&amp;#039;s Bionic Handling Assistant courtesy of New Scientist below:      "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a558185/festo-robotic-elephant-trunk-taught-motor-skills/>