So Festo set out to create an arm that is both strong and dexterous as well as safe for humans working alongside it. Using 3-D printing technology, the engineers (and their partners at the Fraunhofer Institute) created lightweight and soft trunk segments that are powered by pneumatic artificial muscles that drive some serious force underneath. The trunk segments are littered with resistance sensors that help it to be aware of contact with people and objects around it. A three-fingered gripper at the end is also designed to need little force to grasp a range of objects.