Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/08/29/robotic-bird-inspired-by-seagu.html
…
5 Likes
Behold I have seen the future and it will steal your chips.
30 Likes
This was so cool I went and looked at the company that makes it, Festo. Turns out they’ve been flying this thing since 2011. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SmartBird.
11 Likes
Does it laugh?
3 Likes
Neat. I wonder how the energy efficiency compares to a traditional propeller-powered remote plane.
4 Likes
Terminator Herring Gulls? Oh, that’s just fucking peachy.
6 Likes
I may have misread this title. Did a robot seagull steal some food?
3 Likes
The “scale” of its flying made me think that this latest Festo invention includes the use of Helium (as with earlier Festo ‘creatures’), but the little info I’ve found (in a very brief search) sort of, kind of, indicates that Helium is not being used this time; if so… impressive!
2 Likes
“Nein! Nein! Nein!”
BTW: It was made by German company, Festo. 
2 Likes
Yeah, that was what I was trying to figure out. When I saw the footage I was pretty sure I’ve seen Festo “blimp” birds doing that for at least a decade and featuring in William Gibson novel. This one looks to be less “blimp with flapping” and more robot “bird”. Very cool.
1 Like
I think ours are already a step ahead of you.
…
They wait for a pigeon to steal the chips.
They literally tear apart the pigeon and have the chips on the side.
In front of a 6 year old child who just had their chips taken.
Yay, Granville Island.
When they say Super natural BC, they imply cute bear cubs, but it’s actually this. Thunderdome for scavager birds.
4 Likes
Not only this, but they have flying penguins and manta rays, and they, or their devices, are extensively referenced in William Gibson’s book ‘Zero History’.
1 Like
Yep. I remember seeing the Festo bird at the Achema trade show in Frankfurt many years ago! It was a smaller, less polished version. This looks cooler.
1 Like
The same robot bird from 2012 outdoors, flying with other birds (should start at 2 min.):
4 Likes
I just want my orinthopter:
5 Likes
One oddity about the Dune books is that Herbert called the flying transports “‘thopters” but the parts describing their use made it sound like they had some kind of jet engines so I was never clear on whether they were supposed to be propelled via flappy wings or not.
5 Likes
This bird still looks suspiciously porky to me. Simply re-use of blimp outer shell? Minimum inner space needed for electronics/mechs?
1 Like
I figured the engine as a turbine like a helicopter but flapping wings instead of turning a rotor.
4 Likes
Maybe. I remember thinking it sounded like a machine that was propelled by a jet engine but used articulated wings to direct thrust.
2 Likes
