Researchers in the field of biomimicry were able to copy and create insects like ants and butterflies using 3D printers.
Festo, a German-owned industrial firm, was able to create drones that look very much like a living butterfly. The drones are also capable of the same flying skills and impressive coordinated movements. The German company is taking biomimicry into the next level by imitating the social structures of living creatures.
The engineering-driven firm has already made a good reputation when it comes to this field of science. Nat Monitor reported. Their SmartBird and BionicKangaroo designs have been amazing. The latest designs are the bionic ants and robotic butterflies will be expected to launch on April 13 at the 2015 Hannover Messe, the world's leading trade fair for industrial technology.
Biommicry is a rapidly growing field of science that seeks to imitate capabilities found in living creatures for human application. Its objective is to create products or systems, or a new way of living that are very much alike to the existing ones,
Through this field science, Festo was able to build the bionicANTs which is five inches long and weighs over one ounce each. This product was created using a 3D printer which has a tiny video camera in it that provides vision to the robo-insects. When it needs to charge its batteries, it simply places its antenna against a charging station. These bionic ANTs uses their wireless signal to be able to communicate with other bio-ants, Daily Science Journal reported.