Octopus arms chasing in fluids*

Octopuses employ their arms to detect and hunt preys, through a sophisticated interplay between sensing, actuation and environment. Even when vision is blocked, octopuses can robustly coordinate their boneless arms thanks to an array of chemo-sensors. Here, we combine a 3D computational model of an octopus arm, created from medical imaging and biomechanical data, with sensory feedback control inspired by motion camouflage. The result is a computationally minimal, highly effective strategy, which we demonstrate in a range of tasks, from reaching and grasping to chasing preys’ chemical trails.