Page 23 - Festo Smartbird

knowledge and experience gained from previous bionic projects. AirRay and AirPenguin, for example, expedited the development of the artificial bird. SmartBird flies just like its natural model. A lightweight and powerful techni-cal approximation of the herring gull, it is extremely agile and has outstanding aerodynamic characteristics.

A distinctive characteristic of SmartBird is its active wing torsion, with no lift or propulsion aids. In combination with complex control technology, an articulated torsional drive unit – like the sensory organs of a seagull – effects the specific rotation of the wings during their upward and downward strokes. The torso and the tail section are mov-able and thus increase SmartBird’s manoeuvrability and

agility. With the new findings it provides in aerodynamics, airflow behaviour, lightweight construction and drive technology, SmartBird is paving the way for pioneering solutions. Learning from SmartBird means learning about the effective use of energy and resources. Its versatility borrowed from nature will be reflected in the future of factory and process automation – in intelligent light-weight construction, in functional integration and in the control and optimisation of highly complex processes in the dimensions of space and time.