Robots | World Tech Today

Festo AG & Co. KG has revealed amazing 3D printed Robotic ants and butterflies. The German company managed to produce flying drones that resemble real life butterflies. The robotic inventions have the ability to fly with the skill and precision of their real-life counterparts. The engineers employ the use of infrared markers as well as transmission of data aimed to assist in flight. The data is relayed to a central computer.

The wing span for these bionic butterflies is estimated to be about 20 inches. The engineers at Festo have designed these robots to fit the practicality of small air drones.

Festo is bridging new heights with the use of biomimicry in such an advanced manner and imitating the exact structure of biological creatures.

The company has also created bionic ants whose design is completely inspired by and resembles their real biological counterparts. The robots have also borrowed the traits of the real insect. The bionic ants are just about 5 inches in size and have been developed on a 3D printer. Tiny cameras are installed to give them visual aid. The batteries are charged by plugging into a power source through the antennas.

What’s more interesting is the ability of these ants to communicate with each other through wireless signals. This enables them to correspond in performing unified tasks.

Festo has managed to incorporate a lot of genius in the development of these robots. The company attributes the success to the principles obtained by studying natural designs. Festo hopes to continue breaking new grounds in the technological field and introducing more practical applications for their technology.

Festo’s amazing feats in engineering brilliance have earned the company high regards in the scientific community. The company expects to manufacture more of its creations and launch on April 13 this year. The launch is expected to take place at the Hannover Messe, which is the world’s leading industrial technology trade fair.

Boston Dynamics adds yet another leggy member to its portfolio of quadruped robots. This one is dubbed “Spot,” and its special characteristic is an astounding sense of balance. The 160-pound robot is electrically powered and hydraulically actuated.

As per the tradition, the bot maker introduced Spot via a YouTube video. Even earlier, the company has introduced cheetah robot, humanoid Atlas, Big Dog, and Little Dog via YouTube. In a video, the robot is shown to manage to be standing even as Boston Dynamics employees repeatedly kick Spot.

The Spot can operate both indoor and outdoor, including jogging with its minder. It can easily tackle rough terrain with a head-mounted sensor and run at an average speed of about 42 km per hour.

Earlier, Boston Dynamics has made a “BigDog” robot weighing 240 pounds, which was capable of carrying 340 lbs. Its special characteristic was its ability to operate in conditions where there could not be much space to navigate.

Google last year acquired Boston Dynamic, which was engaged in designing and developing robots mainly for the U.S. US Army and other military organizations. The military uses the small robot dog to help troops on the ground, carry kit and explore places where there is litter room for human movement.

The bot maker’s website currently lists 10 robots, including “sand Flea,” which can jump up to 30 foot into the air and drive around like a remote-controlled car. The company claims its “Cheetah” robot to be the fastest legged robot in the world.

Google seems to be focusing aggressively on the robotics technology. Alongside Boston Dynamics, it also acquired a humanoid robot Schaft, which outperformed most other robots in the DARPA Robotics Challenge. Even Boston Dynamics’ humanoid Atlas was one of the challengers in this competition, where humanoids had to withstand “obstacle-course of mock-rescue” tasks.

Magnificent 3D printed bionic Robotic ants and butterflies to run factories of the future

Boston Dynamics new 160-pound robotic dog ‘Spot’ has stunning sense of balance