Flying Manta Ray Blimp is Extremely Awesome

As regular readers are well aware, airships are a familiar favorite of ours. And biomimicry is the modeling of natural methods and processes in technological designs.

So you'd be hard-pressed to find a more EcoGeeky convergence of concepts than this lightweight (1.6 kg; about 3.5 pounds) airship from Festo Robotics that moves around like a manta ray in the air. Lightweight actuators and a semi-rigid frame allow the flapping motion that propels it around. It literally swims through the air. You NEED to see this thing in action to really appreciate it. The video plays automatically after the jump.

It's unlikely that this would ever be directly adapted to passenger uses. While it may not immediately appear to have practical uses (and looking at it, one wonders how it would fare in a stiff breeze), a commercial application coming at some time in the future doesn't seem out of the question.

Keep reading for the video.

Link: Festo Air Ray (PDF)

Video courtesy of Festo...amazing stuff...

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written by him, November 22, 2007

This could be a great advertising "board"! It sure would attract tons of looks.

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written by Rob, November 22, 2007

You'd just need to up the scale, surely, and you'd have a perfectly viable passenger craft (possible engineering constraints notwithstanding).

It is beautiful though!

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written by Todd, November 22, 2007

If I don't see one of these things flying around the dome at the Tampa Bay Devil Rays stadium during a baseball game, dropping t-shirts, I will be amazed.

Funny
written by Nicholas, November 22, 2007

Like others, my first thought was that it looks like a great advertising vehicle. My next thought was that it reminded me of scifi movies that have all manner of crazy-shaped crafts floating about the sky. Very inspiring to watch.

Gradually understanding sustainable living at:
http://www.movinglikewater.com

Wow
written by nanokiwi, November 23, 2007

Another great post ;D
One of the best tech videos I've seen
right up there with the old classic
Monkey Versus Robot
http://youtube.com/watch?v=I_QsCXm1vrk

Fascinating!
written by Magnulus, November 23, 2007

Shame it's not just about rescaling to make this able to carry people. In any case, it's a beautiful sight to behold.

why...
written by Juliann, November 23, 2007

Must every invention also have to have a commercial- consumerist application? i find myself also looking for the multi-function. Funny how conditioned we are to think that way.. how we can USE something for our own gain.
Its a lovely creation.. artful in its own right simply as it is.. just to behold..nice as a reminder of the real thing too.

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written by Davis, November 23, 2007

From the short video accompanying the article, I was wondering if this flying machine could be aerobatic. I think it would give a new to the sport. I can visualize it performing a hammer head stall and an outside loop.

On a more serious note, it could become the luxury liner of the air. Far superior to the dirigibles of old.

Commercial Uses
written by Magnulus, November 24, 2007

Sadly, having a future as an advertising vehicle or a military vehicle are two of the most sure-fire way anything has of becoming commercially available. Personally, I'd just like to have one to fly around the neighbourhood, but it probably won't be developed further and turned to mass-production unless someone wants to use it for advertising or something along those lines.

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written by anthony, November 24, 2007

throw some some solar cells on the skin and have this thing recharge itself.

It would be amazing to have a flock of these floating around a museum or main lobby of a company or college