Festo AquaJelly

The Festo customer service rep was confused. "You want to buy them?" "Yes." "Please hold." ... "No those were just for testing technology." Oh well. I still want one.


Festo AquaJelly - Not for sale.

Nature never ceases to amaze us with its aesthetic beauty. It is no surprise therefore that nature’s fascinating creatures also served as inspiration for the new projects of Festo’s Bionic Learning Network. The structure and kinematics of AquaJelly and AirJelly are based on their biological model, the jellyfish. The test beds utilize cutting-edge technologies. AquaJelly, for example, is a man-made autonomous jelly fish with an electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system. Festo’s YoYo product illustrates that fully automatic control is possible with the aid of mechatronics – it also forms a bridge to the company’s core competency, automation with air.



AquaJelly
AquaJelly is an artificial autonomous jellyfish with an electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system. AquaJelly consists of a translucent hemisphere and eight tentacles used for propulsion. At the centre of the AquaJelly is a watertight, laser-sintered pressure vessel. This comprises a central, electric drive, two lithium-ion-polymer batteries, the charge control device and the servo motors for the swashplate.

The structure of each tentacle uses the Fin Ray Effect® – a construction design derived from the functional anatomy of a fish fin. It moves with the aid of a peristaltic propulsion system, or wave-like contractions, based on the reaction thrust principle used by its biological precursor. The motion of the AquaJelly in three-dimensional environments is controlled by shifting its weight. Two servo motors integrated into the central pressure vessel actuate a swashplate. This swashplate controls a four-arm pendulum which can be steered in the four spatial directions. When a pendulum moves in a certain direction, the centre of gravity of the jellyfish changes in this direction.

AquaJelly is capable of independently controlling its own energy supply, by means of communication between the AquaJelly and a charging station. Whenever the AquaJelly comes to a charger located above the water basin, it is sucked towards it and provided with electricity.

For communication on the water surface, the AquaJelly can use the energy-conserving short-range radio standard ZigBee, which enables it to exchange status details with the charger and signal to other AquaJellies on the surface that the charger is occupied.

The main communication medium under water, however, is light. The AquaJelly has eleven infrared light-emitting diodes with which it can communicate over distances of up to approx. 80 cm. The pulsed infrared signals are sent from inside an almost spherical structure around the AquaJelly. On receiving a position signal from an approaching jellyfish, for example, the AquaJelly can start its evasion manoeuvre in plenty of time. In addition to environment sensors, the AquaJelly also has internal sensors which monitor its energy level, as well as a pressure sensor which allows it to gauge its depth in the basin to within a few millimetres.

Each jellyfish decides autonomously which action to carry out on the basis of its current condition. This central electric drive, combined with an adaptive mechanical system and intelligent autonomous electronics, opens up possible new applications for self-controlling systems. If a large number of AquaJellies were equipped with communicative abilities, these could act like a shoal with the behaviour pattern of a more highly developed system. If one applies this principle to automation, then numerous autonomous or semi-autonomous intelligent systems might be able to work together. In this way, large problems could be solved by small systems working together in harmony.



Festo Web site:
Festo > Pneumatic & Electric Automation Worldwide | Cylinder, Actuator, Drive, Valve, Sensor and Compressed Air Supply

 

Well if that's not cool I don't know what is

 

how much? i have to have it. it would make my life better.

lol I NEED IT. lol

<3 cnidaria

 

PDF with specs added to 1st post.

 

how much you wanna bet one of these things turns up in a whale lol!!

 

That would be so cool to own

 

lol like matt i emailed them and got a response hahahaha. i was like LISTEN I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED THIS lol i have to have it, its vital to my happiness. lol not really but i did express how much i wanted it and was told there are only a few and they were more to show off the research and development going on in the company, they have a penquin, manta ray and a few other marine animals. I replied asking for a press release of the penguin one lol sounds cool.


lol i still say they should sell/give these away when their of no use, i'd wait a few years till people lose intrest lol

 

Wow. They must be wondering what is going on after my phone call and your email now.
I would love to see their Manta Ray.

 

an excerpt of the email

"Any products such as the Penguins, Air Ray, Aqua Jellies, etc. have been developed/constructed only as promotional products for Festo, to showcase our leadership in innovation."

the ETC part has me intrigued lol

 

Festo Aqua Ray

Ok - found the Festo Aqua Ray:

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.