Page 15 - trends in automation
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Ultralight construction:
Minimal weight
despite a variety of components and functions.
Individually controlled:
Since the wings have nine degrees of
freedom, each one can be set and moved in a specific manner.
Moving pictures:
Simply scan the QR code
to watch the video.
at the wing joints control the wing ampli-
tudes. A linear movement in the wing
root infinitely adjusts the integrated
crank mechanism to vary the deflection
between approx. 80 and 130 degrees
(6th, 7th, 8th, 9th degree of freedom).
The tilt of the wings determines the
direction of thrust. Amplitude control
allows the intensity of the thrust to be
regulated. The last four degrees of free-
dom are in the head and tail. The body
of the dragonfly is fitted with four flexible
muscles made from Nitinol. The shape
memory alloys (SMAs) contract when
exposed to heat and expand when they
cool down. Passing an electric current
through the SMAs produces ultralight
actuators that move the head horizontally
and the tail vertically (10th, 11th, 12th,
13th degree of freedom).
The way forward
The interaction between lightweight con
struction, function integration and condi-
tion monitoring makes the BionicOpter
not only a fascinating flying object, but
also an embodiment of the core elements
of future production processes, which go
under the name ‘Industry 4.0’. The artifi-
cial dragonfly illustrates on a small scale
the development possibilities for a shift
from current centralised factory control
systems to decentralised, highly efficient
self-organisation. Many tasks that are
currently still performed by a central
master computer could be taken over by
the components themselves in the future.
Individual workpieces will themselves
determine what functions they need
plants to provide. This digital refinement
will give rise to increasingly intelligent
products that can actively support the
production process thanks to increased
functionality – from energy autonomy
through to condition monitoring – in
the smallest of installation spaces. The
BionicOpter is therefore much more than
a milestone in bionics. It represents the
way forward for the development of
future industrial production engineering
and impressively demonstrates how this
can be achieved.
2.2013
trends in automation
Compass
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