Described on Gizmodo as ‘another graceful robot’, this autonomous swimming (and flying version) of a sea creature is probably one of the most beautiful and impressive bots I’ve seen so far! It’s aesthetic appeal is otherworldly and it is an inpsirational unit for any artist’s eyes! That is why I have to revisit this amazing machine!
The AquaJelly is an artificial autonomous jellyfish with an electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system. AquaJelly consists of a translucent hemisphere and eight tentacles used for propulsion. At the center is a watertight, pressure vessel. The design is derived from the functional anatomy of a fish fin. It moves with the aid of a peristaltic propulsion system, or wave-like contractions, based on the reaction thrust principle used by real jellyfish.
The most amazing and progressive aspect of this device is the integrated communication mechanisms as a group-intelligence; many of the robots work together using Zigbee short-range radio on the surface and LED lighting when underwater.
Like the Roomba we have in our homes, AquaJelly is capable of independently controlling its own energy supply, by keeping in touch with its charging station. Whenever the AquaJelly comes to a charger located above the water level, it is sucked towards the station for a complete re-juicing.
Festo’s website is located here.
Filed under: robot sea creatures | Tagged: aquajelly, autonomous robot, jellyfish robot, undersea robot
