In PROBOSCIS, we envision a new generation of universal robotic manipulators that, much like elephants, engage with uncertain environments, promptly adapt to unexpected situations and perform a multitude of real-world grasping tasks. Similarly to the elephant trunk, these innovative robots will extensively exploit intrinsic high mechanical compliance (soft body adaptability), inherently conforming to the environment, and rich proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensorial feedback (distributed sensing), mainly based on artificial touch, to perceive the world and control their interaction with it. This change of paradigm in tactile-driven exploration and manipulation will enable the achievement of robots capable to reach, sense, grasp, manipulate, recognise, and release in the environment a wide range of payloads, liquid and solid matter, and objects of diverse dimensions and shapes, defining a totally new grasping taxonomy and representing a game changer in assistive, industrial, domestic, rescue and environmental applications.