Universal Gripper

Here's an awesome new innovation that my brother stumbleupon'd the other day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d4f8fEysf8

What's remarkable about this device is that it capable of picking up any object, regardless of shape or consistency.  Here's what they have to say about it:

"The gripper uses the same phenomenon that makes a vacuum--packed bag of ground coffee so firm; in fact, ground coffee worked very well in the device. But the researchers found a new use for this everyday phenomenon: They placed the elastic bag against a surface and then removed the air from the bag, solidifying the ground coffee inside and forming a tight grip. When air is returned to the bag, the grip relaxes."

Immediate applications of this device appear to be tradeshow gimmicks, sideshow attractions, or wacky Christmas presents.  But more long term applications of the Universal Gripper could be handling dangerous items or a variety of other uses where human contact may be limited and traditional handling methods are inefficient.  What a wacky world we live in.