A robot octopus that mimics the movements of the real sea creature has been developed by London scientists.

It is hoped the “soft robotics” technology developed by Queen Mary University scientists will one day help create robots who resemble and move more like humans.

The robo-octopus is powered by computer-controlled air chambers in its tentacles, which are opened and closed by pneumatic valves to change the direction. The creator is PhD student Jan Fras, a robotics expert.

The invention will be among the British technology showcased at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in 2023. More than 4,000 global experts in Artificial Intelligence and robotics will be at ExCeL in Newham for the event.