  Pneumatically operated soft growing robots that extend via tip eversion are
well-suited for navigation in confined spaces. Adding the ability to interact
with the environment using sensors and tools attached to the robot tip would
greatly enhance the usefulness of these robots for exploration in the field.
However, because the material at the tip of the robot body continually changes
as the robot grows and retracts, it is challenging to keep sensors and tools
attached to the robot tip during actuation and environment interaction. In this
paper, we analyze previous designs for mounting to the tip of soft growing
robots, and we present a novel device that successfully remains attached to the
robot tip while providing a mounting point for sensors and tools. Our tip mount
incorporates and builds on our previous work on a device to retract the robot
without undesired buckling of its body. Using our tip mount, we demonstrate two
new soft growing robot capabilities: (1) pulling on the environment while
retracting, and (2) retrieving and delivering objects. Finally, we discuss the
limitations of our design and opportunities for improvement in future soft
growing robot tip mounts.
