자연에서 무엇을 배울 수 있을까요? 동물 세계의 어떤 능력을 산업에서 응용할 수 있을까요? 오래 전부터 Bionic Learning Network에서는 이러한 질문을 놓고 고민해 왔습니다. Festo는 대학, 연구소, 개발사 등과 연합하여 자연에서 이끌어낸 기술적 기본 원칙에 바탕을 둔 연구 주체를 기획했습니다. 끊임없이 되돌아오는 주제는 코끼리 코의 독특한 움직임과 기능입니다.
The shape memory alloy has two different structures depending on the temperature: if it is heated, for example with the help of electricity, the wires shorten. When they cool down, they "remember" their former shape and return to their original position. This allows the Bionic E-Trunk to bend individually and in a controlled manner in any spatial direction. The thinner the wires, the faster they heat up, cool down again and thus react more quickly to how they are actuated.
When creating the concept, the developers chose a design that was similar to that of previous pneumatically actuated trunk projects. Each segment has three wire bundles, each of which consists of two to four individual wires. It can thus be steered in a defined direction depending on the separate activation of the wires The interaction of the artificial muscles in the elements result in the fluid and flexible movements of the Bionic E-Trunk.
Thanks to its low dead weight of only twelve grams, the trunk can be moved easily with the actuators made of shape memory alloys. Compared to other drive principles, they have the highest force-to-weight ratio.
When combined with a micro gripper, the Bionic E-Trunk could be used to handle small objects. In addition, the concept could be used in a dosing process in the life science sector. Flexible tubing could be attached to the side of the structure. This could be used to remove liquids from containers and fill other containers. It would also be conceivable to use it for cleaning confined areas with targeted air flows.
While the pneumatic predecessors were used exclusively to demonstrate how objects can be gripped in a form-fitting way, the Bionic E-Trunk can be used to implement other functions of the elephant’s trunk, such as the intake and delivery of liquids or air.