Festo is a German industrial control and automation company based in Esslingen, Germany. Festo is an engineering-driven company that sells pneumatic and electric actuators primarily to the automation industry, and their revenue in 2008 was $2.4 billion with 13,500 employees worldwide. Their stellar reputation gives all the more credence to their latest mindblowing creation which is something I didn’t think I would ever see in my lifetime — I’m still in a state of disbelief actually. It’s a facking flying robot bird! Yes I know … unbelievable. To see this thing in action just check out the video below. Here’s some info from Festo about the Smartbird™:
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 – one of the oldest dreams of humankind. 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 unit, which in combination with a complex control system attains an unprecedented level of efficiency in flight operation. Festo has thus succeeded for the first time in creating an energy-efficient technical adaptation of this model from nature.
To learn more about this extraordinary company you can check them out at Festo.com. U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.
Source: Towleroad
