it's a generic gripping tentacle for robots. Instead of clamps or hands, they're proposing this as a better alternative for all robots. So in 20 years your Alexa Butler will hand you wine when you walk in the door, using a tentacle.
My mind is a cesspool... with tentacles clamoring out of it. I actually had a bizarro tentacle dream about two weeks ago. Freaky. Trying to write a short story about it for fun.
What does it actually do?