I am always fascinated by Festo’s products. One of them is the Robotic SmartBird. It emulates the flight of seagull. Now, after 2 years of waiting, Festo has done it again. This time, it showcases the Festo BionicOpter, an ultralight flying object that looks and flies like a dragonfly.
Festo has technically mastered the highly complex flight characteristics of the dragonfly. It can fly in all directions, hover in mid-air and glide without beating its wings. Check out the video.
Here are the technical aspect of the BionicOpter.
Technical data
- Beat frequency: Between 15 and 20 Hz
- Wingspan: 63 cm
- Body length: 44 cm
- Weight: 175 g
- Degrees of freedom: 13
- Processor: AMR microcontroller
- Motor: 1 brushless VS external rotor
- Wing actuation: 8 servo motors
- Head and body actuators: 4 shape memory alloys (SMAs)
- Sensors: Inertia, acceleration and position sensors
- Battery: 2 LiPo cells, 7,6 volts
- Wireless modules: 2.4 GHz spectrum
- Wireless remote control: Smartphone or digital spectrum transmitter
Materials used:
- Wing structure: Carbon-fibre rod
- Wing surface: Polyester membrane
- Housing and mechanical system: Aluminium, polyamide (sintered) and terpolymer (deep-drawn ABS)
Click Here for More Information on Festo BionicOpter
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