very new so couldn't find an image for it but here is a youtube video of it in action, very beautiful use of technology...and from the Festo website
"AirJelly
Air is the element of the AirJelly. Rather than swimming through water like the AquaJelly, it glides through the air with the aid of its central electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system. The remote-controlled AirJelly is kept in the air by its helium-filled ballonet.
The AirJelly?s only energy source are two lithium-ion-polymer batteries, to which the central electric drive is attached. This transmits its power to a bevel gear and then to eight spur gears, which drive the eight tentacles of the jellyfish via their respective cranks. The structure of each tentacle is based on the Fin Ray Effect®. Using a peristaltic movement to drive a balloon was previously unknown in the history of aviation. The AirJelly is the first indoor flying object to use such a peristaltic propulsion system. The jellyfish glides gently through the air thanks to this new drive concept based on the reaction thrust principle.
http://www3.festo.com/__C1256E6F00363F3C.
nsf/4B6A584576295BD5C1256DB100445113/
89C4A56AB9433338C125742C0057DA36
Is the "airjelly" just a mesmerizing toy?
It's pretty cool, but I think I'd rather own one of Theo Jansen's wind-powered strandbeests.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Ny5BYc-Fs
Photo
Photo / info can be found here:
http://airshipworld.blogspot.com/2008/04/festo-airjelly-flying-jellyfish...
I prefer the relative...
I prefer the relatively minimal Festo engineering, it might look like a mesmerising toy but a creative mind could apply it to something as yet unknown, undersea robotic probes? Atmospheric testing?
Though Thansen (?) is right about engineering and art being complimentary.
I'd love to see both.
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