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Festo Aqua Ray Robot
The Festo Aqua Ray is yet another robot that makes use of the company's fluidic muscles to achieve smooth motion similar to that seen in nature.
Take a few moments to enjoy the serenity of robotic movement.
(Festo Aqua Ray robot video)
This video does a nice job of showing off the Aqua Ray robot; however, there is a much better video that shows off what is under the skin. Unfortunately, it is narrated in German. Here are a few captured pictures; see the video here.
(Festo Aqua Ray robot body without skin)
Aqua_ray is a remote-controlled fish driven by water hydraulics, the shape and movements of which have been based on the model of a manta ray.The central drive and control unit of Aqua_ray takes the form of a Festo Fluidic Muscle. This is combined with the Fin Ray Effect®, a design based on the functional anatomy of a fish’s fin that makes it possible to imitate the fin drive of the natural role model almost perfectly.
As the Aqua_ray can be manoeuvred extremely well, and can be operated both as a hydrostatic glider and with an active wing beat, substantial energy savings can be achieved. Thanks to its shape and method of movement, the Aqua_ray can be used in wide ranging areas of oceanography, without disrupting the natural environment.
Through the use of new elastic materials for all moving components and for the 3D-deformable skin, and by matching the elasticity and self-adaptive characteristics of the internal wing and tail structures to the hydrodynamic forces, it has been possible to reproduce the kinematics of nature’s marine model. Water is essential to Aqua_ray’s function, since entirely authentic movement can only be attained in combination with this medium and its special characteristics.
Find out more about the Festo Aqua Ray robot (pdf).
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 4/20/2009)
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