灵感来源——银鸥：像其自然界原型一样，智能飞鸟只借助扑翼飞行。超轻型扑翼机具有出色的空气动力学性能，与同类飞行器相比，它无需任何额外的推进就能自行起飞、飞行和着陆。
智能飞鸟由碳纤维、玻璃纤维和聚氨酯泡沫制成，绝对重量轻，灵活性极佳：长度 1.07 米，翼展 1.96 米，仅重约 450 克。这种始终如一的轻量化结构与智能机载电子设备相结合，在一开始就赋予了智能飞鸟独特的飞行特性。
凭借其特殊的机翼外形和扑翼的定向扭动，智能飞鸟实现了超过 80% 的空气动力学效率。机翼不仅上下拍打，而且有针对性地扭动。这是通过提供升力和推进力的主动关节扭转驱动器来实现的。借助这一功能集成，鸟类飞行得以从技术角度解码。
During the flight, software continuously collects data such as wing position, wing torsion and battery status and checks it in real time. This makes it possible to adjust and optimise the control parameters to new situations within fractions of a second. The continuous diagnosis guarantees stable flight and so ensures that the artificial bird operates safely and reliably.
The SmartBird provides important findings for our core business in automation technology – especially in the field of aerodynamics. This knowledge can help to develop new components that require little installation space, are flow-optimised and thus become more efficient in terms of resources and energy. The functional integration of coupled drives provides us with information for the design and optimisation of hybrid drive technologies. Possible applications range from lifting vane generators for generating energy from water to new valve actuators in process automation.