Automation technology carries out everyday tasks in factories such as gripping, moving and positioning goods, as well as controlling processes. Nature performs all of these tasks instinctively, easily and efficiently. What could be more logical than to examine these natural phenomena and learn from them? Festo has been dealing intensively with the bionics field since the start of the 1990s.
The projects from the Bionic Learning Network serve as development platforms that combine highly diverse technologies and components. “This year we have mainly been investigating new production technologies such as ‘digital fabrication’, as well as lightweight structures. One of our exhibits also shows what airborne assistance systems could possibly look like in the working world of the future,” says Dr. Elias Knubben, head of Corporate Bionic Projects.
Festo’s FreeMotionHandling: Autonomously flying gripper spheres
This indoor flight object consists of an ultralight carbon-fibre ring with eight adaptive propellers, in the middle of which is a rotatable helium ball with an integrated gripping element. Thanks to the intelligent onboard electronics and indoor GPS, the ball can autonomously manoeuvre in any desired direction, pick up objects and put them down again in a suitable place. The human operator can safely interact with this flight object at all times. This opens up new possibilities for the workspace for the future: spheres such as these could serve humans as airborne assistance systems – for example in overhead operations at dizzying heights, or as conveyers in spaces with difficult access.
“But FreeMotionHandling is impressive not merely by reason of its unique flight characteristics. The sphere can be rotated by up to 180 degrees to freely orient its gripping element in any spatial direction,” says Knubben. When the ball approaches the object to be grasped, it plans its own subsequent movements by means of two integrated cameras.
Festo’s 3D Cocooner: Bionic structures from the spinneret
Works of architecture are normally attributed to human achievement. However, impressive designs also arise in the animal kingdom. Whereas bees, wasps and termites build their nests in layers, spiders and caterpillars create impressive structures by weaving threads. This provided the inspiration for Festo to develop the 3D Cocooner as part of its Bionic Learning Network. Knubben explains: “Just like a caterpillar, it spins filigree figures and customised lightweight structures from a fibreglass thread. The spinneret is precisely controlled by means of a handling system. As soon as they leave the spinneret, the sticky fibreglass threads are laminated with UV-hardening resin and are joined together to form complex structures. Unlike with other 3D printing processes, these structures do not arise in layers on a surface but are created freely in three-dimensional space. This is something quite special.”
With the 3D Cocooner, the virtual design program directly conveys the manufacturing instructions for a product to the tool level. The digital chain can thus proceed directly from the initial concept to the finished product, without having to pass through the usual channels of sales, production and logistics.
How do customers benefit from these innovations?
Continuous optimisation of the various technologies provides Festo with complex insights and approaches to developing and optimising new products and applications together with customers and partners. The expertise gained in this process makes Festo the partner of choice for its OEM customers from diverse sectors with various different requirements.
By providing appropriate components and solutions, services and expertise, Festo supports its customers from the outset in the development of their products and accompanies them from market analysis up to functional simulation, from prototyping up to efficient series production.
For more information contact Kershia Beharie, Festo, 08600 FESTO, kershia.beharie@festo.com, www.festo.co.za
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