  Grasping, in both biological and engineered mechanisms, can be highly
sensitive to the gripper and object morphology, as well as perception, and
motion planning. Here we circumvent the need for feedback or precise planning
by using an array of fluidically-actuated slender hollow elastomeric filaments
to actively entangle with objects that vary in geometric and topological
complexity. The resulting stochastic interactions enable a unique soft and
conformable grasping strategy across a range of target objects that vary in
size, weight, and shape. We experimentally evaluate the grasping performance of
our strategy, and use a computational framework for the collective mechanics of
flexible filaments in contact with complex objects to explain our findings.
Overall, our study highlights how active collective entanglement of a filament
array via an uncontrolled, spatially distributed scheme provides new options
for soft, adaptable grasping.
