Biologically-inspired blue-sky tech

[andygates]

Festo are a nifty company.  They've got enough space and cash to do some neat blue-sky things, taking their design motifs from nature.

The Air_ray is a ray-shaped balloon which uses ray-like motion to swim through the, er, air.  Does what it says on the tin, really.  The video has a deiciously weird "wow" factor to it, so check it out.

Airic's_arm is more my home turf: it's a model human arm only instead of going all hinges and pistons, it uses a biological armature and slings faux muscles around it.  I thought this had been done a few years ago so I'm guessing Festo are showing off their natty materials science here, still, it's the most human-looking fake arm yet.  The movement controls need training. 

I for one look forward to seeing fleets of ray-blimps circling the skyports of the future, crewed by mad air-dogs with Festo arms hectoring every passerby about how they be better'n them old hooks.  Festo for the future win!