Technology in 60 seconds

Bionics

Talking to machines

"Siri, what will the weather be like today?" "OK, Google, turn the music down!" "Alexa, order the blue trainers for me again!" Voice assistants have already made technology that responds to words part of everyday life. For voice control to work smoothly, complex software processes are running in the background. The correct interpretation of spoken commands requires plenty of preparatory work, high computing power and, last but not least, artificial intelligence.

In practice

Fully Automated DNA Extraction

In plant breeding, countless DNA samples are examined in the laboratory every day. Breeders face the technical challenge of testing DNA quickly and accurately. An automated machining jig supports the automated laboratory in the preparation of samples for analysis.

Bionics

Collision-free swimming with ultrasound

Dolphins and pilot whales can even find their way in murky and dark waters thanks to their natural echo sounder. Submarines also use ultrasound technology for locating purposes. Ultrasound sensors can calculate distances, even to transparent materials and underwater. The BionicFinWave uses these characteristics to its benefit. Thanks to ultrasound sensors, the bionic underwater robot swims collision-free through a pipe system made of acrylic glass.

Bionics

Taking a close look at wings in nature

The dream of being able to fly is one of the oldest human dreams. We have always been fascinated by the animal world, which shows in all sorts of ways how flying is done. In the Bionic Learning Network, too, flying is a recurring theme. For years, Festo, in association with universities, institutes and development companies, has been developing research platforms whose basic technical principles are based on nature.

Innovation

Contactless weighing

Ultra-clean and germ-free processes are becoming increasingly important for industrial production, particularly in the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Surfaces in cleanrooms must be sealed, easy to clean well and to disinfect properly. A new concept using superconductor technology now enables contactless and precise weighing and measuring.

Insights

Even saltier than sea air

Snow and black ice sometimes turn driving into a slippery experience in winter. Although spreading salt makes the roads slightly safer, it is harmful to the environment as well as to the metal parts of a car. The salt attacks the metal on the bodywork, leading to blisters in the paintwork and ultimately to peeling and corrosion. The resistance of a material to corrosion can be tested in standardised test processes, for example, in a salt spray chamber.

Innovation

Through the eyes of the future

You wear glasses so you can see better. You wear augmented-reality glasses so you can see more. These new spectacles enhance the surroundings with computer-aided information. Technologies with augmented reality (AR) make it possible to look at everyday situations as well as the working world of the future in a different way.

Bionics

Programming a robot is child’s play

When it comes to programming, most of us probably think about complicated lines of code with lots of abbreviations, brackets and other symbols. But programming a robot can actually be very easy, as is shown by the software that Festo developed for its pneumatic lightweight robot, the BionicCobot.

Insights

Virtual planning

A metre rule, pen, notepad and a keen eye – you don’t need anything besides that to measure buildings or facilities. Or do you? As in many other areas of life, digitization is also taking hold here.

Bionics

Neatly knitted

Whoever thinks that knitting is old-fashioned is wide of the mark. More and more products are being made out of a variety of materials using 3D knitting – and in very different industries. Flexibility and stability combined with an effective and environmentally friendly production process are just a few benefits of this innovative technology.

In practice

Fresh wind through old pipes

Whether majestic or modest, delicate or complex, whether in a classical church setting or in modern rock music, the organ is the queen of musical instruments. The variety of its sounds remains unequalled. Whilst on modern organs the sound is generated electronically, air still sets the tone on classic instruments. Instead of relying on human muscle power, however, the arduous work of generating wind is now carried out by machines.

Innovation

Electronics to wear

So-called wearables are in high demand, whether for smart watches, fitness wristbands or data glasses. In the private sphere, these devices offer many ways of acquiring data. For example, distances covered, sleep patterns or body temperature can be checked. The technology also creates potential for use in companies, especially with regard to optimizing processes.

Insights

Wide awake

Light is very important for the human organism. This is especially noticeable during the dark winter months when there is less daylight, which often leads to depressed moods. Even a long working day under artificial light can be tiring. The less daylight there is, the more the light levels drop at the workplace and hence the ability to concentrate. Scientists have come up with solutions that are now being applied in practice.

Insights

Overflowing with power

Everyone comes into contact with electroplated objects without noticing it. From frames for glasses, plug connectors in coffee machines to chrome-plated taps on washbasins and galvanized components in the car. Using this technology, tools and scissors, for example, are nickel-plated to protect them against rust.

Bionics

Parametric design

The Water Cube Olympic swimming pool in Beijing and the walkable roller coaster Tiger & Turtle in Duisburg clearly show that the structure and shape of buildings have left the geometric limits of straight angles and parallel walls and ceilings a long way behind. Different organic shapes and bizarre-looking designs – fantasies in the minds of designers and architects turned reality – are possible thanks to the methods of parametric design.

Innovation

Fascinating interaction

Whether at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida or in the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, visitors like to converse with the humanoid robot RoboThespian. It approaches them directly and does so with movements that look quite natural. All this is made possible by the latest technology from Festo, such as the fluidic muscle and piezo valves. The 1.75-metre-tall humanoid weighing 33 kilograms was developed by Engineered Arts Limited in the English town of Penryn in Cornwall.

In practice

The skin factory

Our skin – not only the biggest organ of the human body, but also an extremely delicate and injury-prone one. On average it has a thickness of just a few millimetres. Now it is the first organ that can be artificially reproduced – for some years even in a fully automated process.

Bionics

A dress made of circuits

With Moulded Interconnect Device technology – MID for short – visible, three-dimensional conductive paths can be applied to the surface of injection-moulded components. This enables mechanical and electronic functions to be integrated on a single shaped part in a unique way.