The Bionic Learning Network presents:
Press release
World premiere for the drives of the future
TC 06/06
Whether on Earth or in space, in the depths of the ocean or high in the sky – the new
drives in Festo’s Bionic Learning Network all have one thing in common: they model
themselves on nature. Thanks to their optimised motion sequences, they feel completely
at home in their surrounding element – thanks to thousands of years of evolution and
some cutting-edge technology. At its stand at the Hanover Fair, Festo is showing how
bionic visions can be transformed into innovations with a wide range of practical uses.
Date
Airacuda
The Airacuda glides gracefully and silently through the water. The construction of the
remote-controlled, pneumatically driven fish closely follows the lines and motions of its
biological precursor. The watertight head houses the electronics and pneumatics which
control the S-shaped motion of its tail fin, supplied by two fluidic muscles. Steering is
facilitated by two additional muscles.
The fin itself contains an alternating tension/compression flank connected to a rib structure.
When a flank is pressurised, the geometric structure arches against the acting force. What
might sound complicated is actually a simple principle which enables a fish to utilize the full
power of its fin stroke in water. The structure is called the “Fin Ray Effect” and is used in
two ways: firstly, as a passive component of the tail fin and secondly as an active structure in
the body. The diagonals in the structure are shortened alternately with the aid of fluidic
muscles.
Fin drives have numerous advantages over conventional propellers. All in all, a greater
proportion of the motion is converted into thrust. In contrast to conventional drives used in
water, the fish does not need a rigid drive unit.
The fluidic muscle is a Festo innovation. Its properties are similar to those of a real muscle –
and yet it is operated with compressed air. The initial force of this artificial muscle is
extremely high and its dynamics resemble those of the human muscle. With its low weight,
high flexibility and wide variety of uses, it is ideally suited to bionic applications.
24. April 2006
Department
TC
Dr. Heinrich Frontzek
Rechtsform:
Kommanditgesellschaft
Sitz: Esslingen a.N.
Registergericht Esslingen a.N.
HRA 1583
Umsatzsteuerident.- Nummer:
DE 145339206
persönlich haftende
Gesellschafterin:
Festo Aktiengesellschaft
Sitz: Stuttgart
Registergericht Stuttgart
HRB 18535
Vorstand:
Dr. Ekkehard Gericke
Dipl.-Ing. Rudi Menrad
Dr. Thomas Rubbe
Dr. Eberhard Veit (Sprecher)
Dr. Ulrich Walker
Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender:
Dr. Wilfried Stoll
Festo AG & Co. KG
Corporate Communication
P.O. Box
73726 Esslingen / Germany
Internet www.festo.com
Phone +49/711/347-1873
Fax
+49/711/34754-1873
E-Mail DRHF@de.festo.com
Ruiter Str. 82
73734 Esslingen / Germany
Humanoid
Festo’s fluidic muscles perform a completely different bionic task in the Humanoid muscle
robot – a joint project with EvoLogics GmbH and the Bionics and Evolution Technology
department of the Technical University of Berlin. Starting with a first functional study of a
simple robot arm in 2000 and followed by various intermediary stages, the project has now
developed into a torso with two anthropomorphic arms and five-fingered hands.
The key element for the technical realisation of the project was the supply of Festo’s fluidic
muscles, whose tensile force can be smoothly transferred by artificial sinews made of
extremely tough Dyneema fibres and via numerous joints to the desired actuators. This
allows the actuators to be placed favourably in the body and keeps the mass of moved parts
to a minimum. Two each of these powerful and ultra-light actuators can be switched together
as an antagonistic muscle pair and also serve as energy accumulators, enabling flowing and
elastic motions. Elementary functions – such as bending, stretching and turning – mean that
highly complex motions can be realized within the overall context of the construction, with a
total of 48 degrees of freedom.
The Humanoid has almost the same radius of action as a similar-size person. With its
favourable weight-to-power ratio, its ability to grasp objects and position them within its
sphere of motion and its manlike proportions, the Humanoid leaves no doubt as to its role
model. The robot can either follow pre-programmed motions or be controlled online via data
suit and data glove. This enables all movements of the human protagonist to be transferred
directly to the robot with a slight delay of around 0.5 seconds – even over great distances.
This means that man’s bionic stand-in can be used in places which are either inaccessible or
too dangerous for humans. The range of potential applications stretches from terrestrial
environments to the ocean to jobs in outer space.
b-IONIC Airfish
The b-IONIC Airfish is unique technological test bed. This flying object combines
sophisticated bionics, in the form of a streamlined penguin design, with an unusual
propulsion system – the ion drive.
Ion drives were originally conceived for applications in space and work with high directcurrent voltages. The thrust generated in space is very small – in the millinewton range. But
in a vacuum, this constant acceleration of ions is sufficient to reach high speeds over long
interplanetary distances. In the atmosphere, the same principle can be used to accelerate air
ions and generate a small amount of thrust for high-flying missiles lighter than air.
High direct-current voltages (20 – 30 kV) passing through thin copper wires remove
electrons from the surrounding air molecules. The resulting positive air ions are then
accelerated at high speeds (300 – 400 m/s) to the negatively charged backplate electrodes
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(strips of aluminium foil) and pull neutral air molecules with them. This generates an
effective ion wind with a speed of up to 10 m/s.
The ion drive is located in the swivel-mounted tail wings, operates almost silently and
without moving parts and makes the aircraft completely manoeuvrable. The flat-formed air
acceleration unit mounted along the wing replaces the mechanical flapping wing propulsion
system of penguins and provides forward thrust for the b-IONIC Airfish.
However, the main future applications for atmospheric ion drives are not so much in the field
of forward thrust but focus rather on reducing or eliminating drag. Penguins, for example,
have an air bubble around their body, created by the millions of tiny bubbles trapped in their
feathers. The penguin’s excellent drag coefficient is therefore not only a factor of the
streamlined shape of their bodies, but also of the boundary layer control of the surrounding
gaseous phases – caused by the liquids.
Flow phenomena also play a major role in valve technology. Following the realisation of an
Airfish using pneumatic structures and bionic propeller drives, the current test model
continues to examine the topic of drag manipulation by using an ion drive on the surface.
The ion wind creates a targeted reduction in surface friction. This enables the b-IONIC
Airfish of the future to swim through air like a penguin in water.
Hovercraft Vector
“Bionic meets Pneumatic” – this slogan stands for a wealth of new air-based ideas already
generated by the Bionic Learning Network. The Hovercraft with thrust vector control is a
prime example of highly accurate manoeuvring capabilities on land and water.
The thrust control system developed in cooperation with students of the Bielefeld University
of Applied Sciences uses a steering principle similar to that of a track vehicle. The air flow
created by the propeller is divided into two channels. Each of these channels has a pair of
shutters, which work in a similar way to the reverse thrust system of a turbo propulsion unit
and can regulate the proportion of air expelled in the forward or back-ward direction. This
makes braking and reverse manoeuvres just as easy as forward thrust.
Please refer to:
Festo press photo TC_06_06_Airacuda_1.tif
Caption to illustration:
Airacuda
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The remote-controlled pneumatically driven fish resembles the
biological original in construction, shape and kinematics.
Please refer to:
Festo press photo TC_06_06_Airacuda_2.tif
Caption to illustration:
Airacuda detail view
More efficient than a ship’s propeller: the Airacuda’s fin drive
with Festo fluidic muscles.
Please refer to:
Festo press photo TC_06_06_Humanoid.tif
Caption to illustration:
Humanoid
On Earth, in space or at sea: the Humanoid’s 48 degrees of
freedom enable it to perform complex movements and work in
places humans cannot go.
Please refer to:
Festo press photo TC_06_06_b-IONIC Airfish.tif
Caption to illustration:
b-IONIC Airfish
Test bed for pneumatic and bionic experiments: Festo’s
b-IONIC Airfish.
Please refer to:
Festo press photo TC_06_06_Hovercraft Vector.tif
Caption to illustration:
“Bionic meets Pneumatic”: the Hovercraft Vector is the most
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manoeuvrable vehicle of its kind.
Press texts and photos can also be accessed at www.festo.com/press.
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Press release