Bionic Learning Network
Inspiration for factory and process automation
Automation technology carries out everyday tasks in factories such as gripping, moving and positioning goods as well as controlling processes. Nature performs all of these tasks instinctively, easily and efficiently. What could be more logical than to examine these natural phenomena and learn from them?
That is why Festo set up the Bionic Learning Network, a research network linking Festo to well-known universities, institutes, development companies and private inventors.
Who are the members of the Bionic Learning Network?
Members of the Bionic Learning Network – interdisciplinary teamwork
We have been dealing intensively with the bionics field since the start of the 1990s. The launch of the Bionic Learning Network in 2006 heralded the start of a dynamic and open exchange of ideas with well-known universities, institutes and development companies.
The core team consists of engineers and designers, biologists and students from Festo. It works closely with specialists from other departments as well as external partners from all over the world. This open, interdisciplinary teamwork offers new perspectives and inspiration for industrial applications and possible future standard products.
- Festo: Bionic Projects core team, Research and Development, Product Management, Testing, Product Development, Product Design, Exhibition Stand Construction, Corporate Design
- Universities and institutes: TU Berlin, Delft University of Technology, TU Ilmenau, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, University of Arts and Industrial Design Linz, University of Oslo and Akershus, Department of Product Design, University of Applied Sciences Ravensburg-Weingarten, University of Stuttgart, CIN University Tübingen, University of Ulm, Fraunhofer IPA ...
- External companies: aeroix GmbH, Effekt-Technik GmbH, Evologics GmbH, JNTec GbR, Sachs Engineering ...
What does Festo want to achieve with bionics?
Objectives of the Bionic Learning Network – more than just developing new technologies
To motivate, inspire and enthuse and to kick-start innovation – as a technological leader and as a learning company, Festo is pursuing a set of clear objectives with the Bionic Learning Network:
- To establish networks and to motivate people from different sectors to develop their ideas with Festo
- To keep track of current trends in research and development and to test new technologies and manufacturing methods
- To encourage greater creativity in solution processes and to drive preliminary product development through prototyping
- To discuss possible solutions with customers and partners and obtain customer feedback in relation to issues surrounding innovation
- To demonstrate the solution expertise of Festo in a way that will inspire young people to take an interest in technology and help us to discover new talent
How do our customers benefit?
Festo as a development partner – a driving force for customer innovations
The Future Concepts of the Bionic Learning Network serve as development platforms that combine a wide diversity of technologies and components – from manufacturing concepts via series products, up to software and control or regulation technology.
Continuous optimisation of the various technologies provides Festo with complex insights and approaches to developing and optimising new products and applications together with customers and partners. The expertise gained in this process makes Festo the partner of choice for its OEM customers from diverse sectors with various different requirements.
By providing appropriate components and solutions, services and expertise, Festo supports its customers from the outset in the development of their products and accompanies them from market analysis up to functional simulation, from prototyping up to efficient and productive series production.