multiarm

Multiarm is an adjective describing something that has more than one arm, and it can also function as a noun to refer to devices or systems consisting of several manipulators. The term is used across disciplines to denote configurations that employ multiple arms or appendages capable of coordinated action.

In biology, many organisms possess multiple arms or tentacles that can be used for locomotion, feeding, or manipulation. Examples include octopuses and squids with eight or more arms, and starfish, crinoids, and other echinoderms with multiple radial arms. The term is also used to describe limb arrangements in certain arachnids or polychaete worms, though precise anatomy varies by lineage.

In robotics and automation, multiarm systems consist of two or more robotic arms mounted on a common base or workspace. They enable parallel manipulation, such as simultaneous assembly or object transfer, improving throughput but requiring careful coordination, collision avoidance, and synchronized control to prevent interference.

In computer science, the term appears in the context of multi-armed bandit problems, a model for sequential decision making in which an agent chooses among several arms with uncertain rewards. The challenge is to balance exploration of arms with potential rewards against exploitation of known good options.

In clinical research, a multi-arm trial compares several treatment arms within a single study, sometimes alongside a shared control arm. This design can improve efficiency and allow direct comparison across multiple therapies, but increases statistical complexity and requires careful pre-specification of hypotheses and endpoints.