SmartBird
![A a white robotic seagull labelled FESTO flies across a blue sky.](jpg/4470fe641bef76e1cd800f22ddd68936736d2769-2048x1536581a.jpg)
SmartBird is a robotic seagull that flies by flapping its wings and steers by twisting them at specific angles. It has an aerodynamic design inspired by biology, and you can fly it with a remote control.
- Creator
- Year
- 2011
- Country
- Germany 🇩🇪
- Categories
- Features
More videos
Did you know?
The design of SmartBird is based on the Herring gull.
![A multiple exposure image shows the robotic gull's wings flapping.](jpg/22c085c03d190b262625ee2e595993bef0237dac-2048x1536581a.jpg)
![A man in a suit prepares to throw the robotic seagull, by holding it over his head. The robot's torso alone is larger then his head. A large crowd is watching, but cordoned off.](jpg/d9114bb7265c9a53490b232da25b8de81ae2a8c6-2048x1536581a.jpg)
More Images
![Aerial photo shows two people sitting at a desk with computers while the SmartBird flies overhead, indoors.](jpg/defc125f652e9d8d8f87a46ab9bc8de22697762a-2048x1536581a.jpg)
![Three men observe the robotic skeleton at a trade show.](jpg/5ed16e90921452aca716e7513a9acb7c6dbb962c-2048x1536581a.jpg)
Specs
- Overview
Bio-inspired, ultralight design. Has autonomous and teleoperation modes.
- Status
Inactive
- Year
2011
- Website
- Width
- 200 cm
- Length
- 107 cm
- Weight
- 0.45 kg
- Speed
- 25 km/h
- Sensors
Motor position Hall-effect sensors
- Actuators
Graupner Compact 135 brushless DC motor. Two servos to control head and tail sections; two servos to control wing torsion.
- Degrees of Freedom (DoF)
- 6
- Materials
Carbon fiber and polyurethane foam.
- Compute
Texas Instruments LM3S811 32-bit 50-MHz microcontroller. 868 MHz radio control module and 2.4 GHz two-way ZigBee module
- Software
No OS. Custom software.
- Power
7.4-V 450-mA lithium-polymer battery, 20 minutes of operation