Festo's Robotic Penguins Fly and Swim

Hannover, Germany -- As two giant electric-poweredpenguins glided gracefully by overhead, Marcus Fischer explained to me that thedesign group he heads up at Festo often takes its cue from nature whendeveloping new technologies.

No kidding.

Ananimatronic super-arachnid. A robotic jellyfish. And now this year's penguins. Two that fly andtwo that swim underwater (unless I missed some other acrobatics) reinforced onceagain that a visit to Festo's booth at the Hannover Fair never fails to entertain.

Researchersat this German automation company, says Fischer, were inspired by the anatomyof real penguins in their work on advanced motion systems. Although penguinscannot fly, they have wing surfaces that make for high efficiency whenswimming.

Theseaworthy penguins sport wings of spring steel embedded in an elastic matrix ofsilicon, producing a sleek profile and the ability to twist to the mostefficient pitch angle with each stroke. The flat, flexible wings of theairborne penguins are made of polyurethane foam and are suspended by a strut atthe pivot point of the creature's torso.

But it'smore than flexible wings that give these birds their nearly unfettered freedomof motion.

Theirtorsos are able to move flexibly in any direction because of specially designedhead, neck, and tail segments that mimic the tail fin of a fish. I grew up in Minnesota, Land of10,000 lakes, so I know something about fish and the way they can flop aroundon a boat deck.

Looking tomimic that motion, Festo engineers constructed the penguins' key body parts outof flexible struts connected at their joints by a series of rings, allowing thestructure to move in three dimensions.

Continuouslyvariable control of the wing's digital actuators, along with advanced navigationand communication, allows the birds to explore their environments, either freelyor within a defined motion profile. They can even swim backwards – somethingeven their natural counterparts cannot do.

No doubtabout it, the penguins wowed the crowd.

But the realstory for engineers is how Festo is extending the penguin technology to a form-fitgripping technology called the "BionicTripod." Currently in the prototype stage, this futuristic pick-and-place system is based on the same principles as the robotic penguins' ultra-flexible anatomy, namely a series of lightweight, fiberglass rods and connecting links that form a tripod from which an adaptive gripping device is suspended. As the rods are manipulated, the tripod can beoriented in any direction within a 90-degree envelope, providing hugeflexibility in pick-and-place applications.

The gripperitself is made up of a pneumatic bellows and three fingers. Like the tripod'sdesign, each finger consists of two flexible bands that form a triangle withconnecting links so it has a wide range of motion.

Thelightweight device is made of polyamide and is fabricated from the sameselective laser sintering process used in rapid prototyping. Lower weighttranslates to a higher degree of energy efficiency. And of course there is theflexibility in motion.

"With thisdesign, it's possible to grasp objects of different forms and even fragileparts as the gripping fingers adapt to the part's contours," says Fischer.

To wit, thecompany is currently embarking on an experimental project involving plantbulbs. This kind of field work will help Festo engineers optimize thetechnology and work out a cost structure for successful commercialization.

As forwhat's in store for next year at the Hannover Fair, with Festo's ongoing focuson speed and new innovations like its fast-switching valve terminals andintegrated linear motors, I'm guessing robotic cheetahs. Or possibly cockroaches.