Mihai “Mishu” Duduta, assistant professor in UConn’s School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering, was featured in a November 6, 2026, NPR segment exploring what octopuses can teach engineers about designing robots for search and rescue.

Speaking with science reporter Ari Daniel, Duduta offered an independent perspective on research examining how octopuses squeeze through narrow openings. He highlighted the animals’ strategy of reaching through an opening and pulling their bodies after them—a behavior with “big implications for how we think of robots for search and rescue.” This distinction between pulling and pushing could help guide the design of robots that navigate confined spaces.

Duduta’s research at UConn addresses fundamental challenges in soft robotics, including actuation, sensing, and energy storage. His group brings together expertise in materials and engineering to develop new robotic capabilities.

Listen to the NPR segment, “How octopuses squeeze through teeny tiny holes.” whro.org

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