A fantastic new "species" of realistic looking bionic butterflies that fly like real butterflies is advancing robotics to another level.
The eMotionButterflies from German robotics company Festo are lightweight creations that flap their delicate wings and maneuver like the real thing. Festo calls its creation, "ultralight flying objects with collective behavior".
A video of a swarm of these flying robotic butterflies can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gu3z7w4Vc8
Each bionic butterfly weighs a puny 32 grams and has a wingspan of 50 centimeters. Its wings are made from elastic capacitor films and supported by thin carbon rods. Each can fly for some four minutes.
Festo said its butterflies are part of a swarming robotic system. In this system, the flying behavior of several drones is coordinated to fly around a room without bumping into the walls, objects or each other.
The intelligent networking system relies on 10 high-speed infrared cameras that track infrared markers on each butterfly and send information in real time to a master computer that coordinates the movements of the swarm.
Festo said its invention combines the ultralight construction of artificial insects with collision-free flying behavior in a collective. The eMotionButterflies' guidance and monitoring system could be used in the networked factory of the future, said Festo.
The eMotionButterflies is impressive because of its intelligently employed mechanical system combined with the smallest possible power units in the tightest space. The reduced use of materials enables true-to-nature flying behavior.
With the butterflies, Festo has taken another step into miniaturization, lightweight construction and functional integration