Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → Robotics

The flying bionic bird – da Vinci’s dream come true

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
February 15, 2019
in Other, Robotics, Science

I’m still left in awe after stumbling across this marvelous feat of engineering, which perfectly applies nature’s concepts to science and engineering technology. Seeing the SmartBird model in action immediately makes one imagine one of the world’s greatest minds Leonardo da Vinci on Florence’s hilltops studying and sketching the flight of birds for his aeronautical projects. Yes, this is a bionic bird, built in Germany by Festo, which perfectly moves and feels just as a real bird would, in this case the herring gull after which the SmartBird model was inspired.

The wings flap carelessly and naturally just like a real seagull would, and moves just as gracefully. It’s best you hit play below.

Here’s how the company synopses the SmartBird brochure, which I highly recommend you read.

SmartBird is an ultralight but powerful flight model with excellent aerodynamic qualities and extreme agility. With SmartBird, Festo has succeeded in deciphering the flight of birds. This bionic technology- bearer, which is inspired by the herring gull, can start, fly and land autonomously – with no additional drive mechanism. Its wings not only beat up and down, but also twist at specific angles. This is made possible by an active articulated torsional drive, which in conjunction with a complex control system makes for unprece – dented efficiency in flight operation.

As a soon to be graduate engineer, myself, I simply can’t help praise this incredible effort which took a few years to complete through intense trial and error applications. I can only imagine how painstakingly embarassing their first tries must have been, before they ultimately managed to decipher the spin and torque the wings need to have to mimic the birds, but in the end they managed to deliver something magical.

Technically, the SmartBird only weighs about half a kilo (it’s built out of carbon and foam), has a wing span of 6 feet, and is basically actionable via a remote control. Remarkably, Chief Engineer Markus Fischer took a model down to a Baltic seashore where he  let it fly with real beach gulls, and it stayed up there – the other gulls didn’t seem to notice or care, he relates.

Since I was very curious to find out more about the project, I noticed that the SmartBird isn’t the first engineering marvel the company has undertaken. Actually, Festo has a number of other very fascinating bionic projects, such as an automated elephant trunk that curls, twists, stretches and grasps, bionic human limbs, air penguins and the incredible aqua jelly, which you just need to see to believe. Heck, they even built a humanoid which look props for the Terminator series. Outwardly stuff!

Images and videos courtesy of Festo.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Another Star Wars dream come true – the hoverbike
  2. Invisibility: another sci-fi dream come true?
  3. Flying ‘Robotic pigeon’ brings us closer to bird-like drones
  4. Biggest flying bird discovered: twice the size of the royal albatross
  5. Oldest bird might not be a bird in the first place
Tags: aerodynamicsLeonardo DavinciSmartBird

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW