Arrival of the bionic penguin
Again a great example of how far technology is with the arrival of the first bionic penguin. The penguins are shown at the Hannover Messe Trade Exhibition in Germany.
The penguins act like real penguins. The are able to use their flippers to paddle through the water. Just like the real ones. Unlike real penguins they also are able to 'swim' through the air. You just have to fill them with helium. The penguins uses 3D sonar to navigate and avoid collisions with other penguins. The way they move is almost as natural as their real life counterparts.
The penguin is the next step in inspiration from nature. We already have the bionic jellyfish (YouTube clip) , shark (YouTube clip)and octopus. We also already know the flying 'robobird'.
These developments show again how the nature and robotics merge and that we in the near future hardly recognize the differences between the real world and the technology developed world.
The technology used for the penguins will soon be used in robotics for industry. These future robots make it more easier to grab and hold more fragile products.
Source: New Scientist