CyberKite

Controlling the forces of nature has been a dream of humankind since time immemorial. With the CyberKite, Festo is meeting this challenge as part of the Bionic Learning Network and is developing a kite system with a cybernetic control unit. The engineers have set themselves the task of taming the wind, an unpredictable factor, and permanently maintaining in flight a steerable kite with a ram pressure wing. The CyberKite is a biomechatronic overall concept that can autonomously control a ram pressure wing measuring up to 24 m² independently of energy sources. The performance of the electric drive mechanism and of the overall system is impressively demonstrated.