Flying Manta Ray Blimp

German engineering firm Festo has created this flying manta ray. Dubbed the Air_ray, it’s a balloon made of an aluminum-vaporised “PET foil”. Inflated with helium, the Air_ray’s propulsion system is a flapping wing drive. Each wing has alternating pressure and tension flanks that are attached to an internal set of ribs. The flanks are connected to a remotely controlled servo motor. When pressure is applied to either of the flanks, the wing bends in the opposite direction. By alternating pressure on the flanks, the wings beat. The servos are powered by two 8V LiPo accumulator cells.

The total weight of the Air_ray including the balloon, propulsion system, power supply, and helium is 1.6Kg. Festo has more specs in this PDF.

[via Neatorama]

15 thoughts on “Flying Manta Ray Blimp

  1. heh, I thought I saw this site on here a couple of years back.
    Unrelated to the manta, but their “Airic’s arm” is an awesome piece of bionic tech. As opposed to current artificial limb technology based on servos, this uses a series of pressurised tubes to mimic fluid, muscle movement.

  2. I’ve seen that manta before. Festo is located two small cities next to me. I hope I can work there again in the summer ;) They’re one of the best known firms in the are here.

  3. I wonder how large one of these could be made, and if it could handle any wind hitting it. I would love to see one of these flying around a disaster scene providing cellphone, ham radio and police radio relay.

  4. great, the posts ignore uppercase. We’re all forced to write like jery yang.

    well, the first “L” and “P” are supposed to be uppercase on the above comment.

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