Festo shows off robot penguins and other visions of the future
By Donald Melanson 
posted Apr 18th 2009 8:14PM
posted Apr 18th 2009 8:14PM
The folks at Festo have already proven themselves to be more than adept some intoxicating, slightly unnerving feats of robotics, but they look to have really outdone themselves with their latest group of creations, which all fall under the banner of the company's Bionic Learning Network. While they're all certainly impressive, the real star is undoubtedly the AquaPenguin which, in addition to being creepily realistic, is fully autonomous and even able to outperform its real-life counterpart in a few tasks, like swimming backwards. Of course, Festo apparently couldn't help themselves and also built a flying, blimp-like AirPenguin, and they applied some of the same basic technology to a number of other devices, including a robot arm that's precise enough to change a lightbulb, and a freestanding interactive wall that's sure to spruce up any lobby. Hit up the YouTube link below for a video that provides a brief overview of the whole lot, or head on over to Festo's site for the even better German version (plus some additional details on the projects themselves).
Read - YouTube, "Festo Bionic Learning Network 2009"
Read - Festo
[Thanks, Gunter]
Read - YouTube, "Festo Bionic Learning Network 2009"
Read - Festo
[Thanks, Gunter]
Where do I buy a RoboPenguin?
forget robopenguin, where do i get my terminator wife
Where do I get my wife terminated?
where do i get my wife to kill said terminator?
Where do I get my RoboPenguin wife termi-- fuck.
@Thunda
YOU WIN +1 internet
no lasers?
Do the RoboPenguins at least run Linux?
That's my question!
It's DOS!!!!11! :o
I hear that they can run Crysis, just warhead though... Lame.
I'm wondering when Sea World will buy a bunch of these Areo-Penguins for display. The world just seems a little more awesome some how.
i for one welcome our robotic aquatic penguin masters, etc.
I agree. Since the first time I watched Beast Wars I have waited for this day to come.
Can the penguins reproduce? They said they "outperform" the real penguins in many aspects...
;-)
Many aspects, maybe..
But real Penguins are hornier than rabbits, no one can create a robot with that kind of sex drive...
I'm pretty sure that there is absolutely no purpose in creating robotic penguins lol
@pdonket
Absolutely true. No reason..
Why would anybody want to model a submersible craft after a highly efficient and manoeuvrable bird that swims under water. They should obviously have gone for a robotic flamingo.
Ya, it's perposterous!!! Robo Turtles...now that's marketable1
Robo-swordfish ftw!
@pdonket:
Watch the video mate. They based the robotic penguins on real penguins, trying to figure out how to make machine mimic living things. Then they used what they learned in the tail and snout structures to build a robotic arm more flexible than most and capable of firmly gripping a lightbulb without breaking it.
There are lots of reasons to mimic natural organisms, usually because they can do things better than machines can.
@404
Like getting attacked by sea lions? Evolution takes thousands, if not millions of years to make even the simplest changes, and species get outdated (go extinct) quickly when the requirements for survival change. Shouldn't we use our ability to form and redesign machines in such a considerably smaller timeframe to our advantage?
We can make things that are better suited for our specific tasks than penguins I think. Especially since almost all of their form is based on the need to breed, capture fish, and store food for long periods of time. Unless we are trying to make some kind of long-term arctic food collection device, I think better alternatives could be designed, don't you?
Oh no! It's happening!! Everyone, quick! Grab your anti-robot diapers!!
Vroom vroom der party schtata.
but can it take a 50-foot drop onto concrete, swim 60 miles an hour, swim through icebergs and break them at full speed without slowing down, carry 3,000 pounds of payload all with only a paperclip and a piece of string?
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/15/irobot-says-its-warrior-bot-is-more-human-than-asimo
Obviously ;)
Batman could not be reached for comment
Are they working on robotic killer whales?
The photo looks NSFW. What?
SWEEET!
Penguin Torpedoes are becoming a reality, just like when it was first envisioned in Batman Returns! Well.. minus the real penguins, which im sure PETA is deeply saddened by..
This is a cool idea until they get eaten by killer whales.
Something about those slow-gliding shiny-silver aero penguins gets peaks in my awesome sensors.
Really?????
It's cooooool~
shark bait!
Is anyone else getting Cyberdyne vibes from the end of that video?
You beat me to it.
its all cool, but one may ask what is the point? the only thing I can think of is its use in the study of ocean life. If they can really make this thing indistinguishable from dolphins for other ocean creatures (for e.g. whales) then it can be really really useful in the study of whales etc. in their natural habitat. This way they won't be influenced by a strange looking creature holding and pointing some strange looking object at them..
I think, they might have used some neutral shaped thing as well. The main reasons seem to be research about interoperability / communication between robots, energy efficiency and new materials etc.
Using the penguin as an analogy certainly atracts more attention than just some name- and faceless thing which could abolutely do the same trick.
Could it be possible that the batteries will run out during the long walk over the ice? :) or do the batteries charge by arctic storms? Anyway its a fantastic achievement making such a thing.
Festo = Dr. Wily?
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/megaman/images/thumb/a/a7/Mmxchillpenguin.jpg
Doh!
here's the link:
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/megaman/images/thumb/a/a7/Mmxchillpenguin.jpg/300px-Mmxchillpenguin.jpg
Chill Penguin was built by Dr Cain
How come the penguins have blue lights for their eyes? I wonder if the prototype penguin with the glowing red eyes started taking over the aquarium.
What about those walls? Imagine all the interior walls in your house like those.... moving as you need them to.... would trip out your visitors :)!
Very impressive. Almost as impressive as these robot penguins: http://www.youtube.com/chicogonzo12 (see my favourites on my youtube channel)
Festo is an impressive company/group of companies. Everything's made with immaculate German precision. They tend not only to focus on great individual products, but approach the entire system as whole, too. We use their pneumatic cylinders at work and the engineering is quite impressive. The Festo demo of the driving simulator using only pneumatic "muscles" for motion is very, very cool.
I have a small collection of Festool power tools, including the C-12, the world's first 3 phase, brushless, AC motor based, cordless drill, It's rated to drive a million screws. I have no doubt that these tools will easily last the rest of my life.
The Penguins are cute, but amount to little more then PR for an industrial supply company. Unlike robotics companies like iRobot, these items exist only to impress people, they aren't for production. It's ashame to see exciting innovation that's destine to never leave the lab.
You totally missed the point if you think that the same German company that invented a little thing known as "the chainsaw" is doing something like this just for public relations.
Yeah, Germans are all about wasting money.
Linked to this story here. - http://theyarecomingfor.us/2009/04/19/march-of-the-robot-penguins/
I don't see the point of these things. Sure, they're neat. I get that. But regular penguins are neat too. Plus they're warm and cuddly and they stand for months in freezing winds to care for their eggs. If penguins can be replaced, what's stopping humans from being replaced.When will the madness end!?!