| | |

Festo’s Bionic Flower – A Bionically Inspired Robot Teaching Aid

December 14, 2020

Festo is renowned for its bionic creatures – robotic fauna that fly, crawl, scamper or swim and point the way to possible commercial developments that mimic actions in nature. Now, Festo Didactic, the leader in basic and advanced training solutions for industry, has unveiled the Bionic Flower, a construction kit for today’s young STEM students inspired by the world of flora.

Festo Didactic developed Bionic Flower in cooperation with SkySpirit, basing it on models of mimosa plants and water lilies. The Bionic Flower opens and closes its petals as a reaction to external influences such as touch, proximity or light. These mechanisms can be discovered by pupils using sensors and control technology integrated in the Bionic Flower. The design, as well as the transfer of principles from the plant world, encompasses multiple curriculum topics in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. The topic of biodiversity can also be discussed in class.

One Bionic Flower can be used by up to three students aged 10 and over. The petals contain the first bionic topic: the folding technique. The petals gain the necessary mechanical stiffness by folding. The mechanism for opening and closing the petals is electrically actuated with a stepper motor which opens and closes the petals one by one. The movement and the light effects are controlled via Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets or PCs. If required, the microcontroller can be programmed with the graphic coding interface “Open Roberta”. Experienced students can also program their Bionic Flower in C++. The code is open source. In addition to assembling the Bionic Flower, students can customize and expand on the Bionic Flower by using 3D printers, other materials, hardware and software.

Accompanying teaching material, as well as the assembly manual, can be downloaded free of charge.

With the Bionic Flower, students learn different aspects of STEM in a digital, creative and interdisciplinary way. Working with the device promotes the educational 4Cs –collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity – to prepare learners for the digital world of tomorrow.

For more information, visit www.festo.com.

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • Festo Didactic Showcases Technical Education and Training at Hannover Messe 2025

    Festo Didactic Showcases Technical Education and Training at Hannover Messe 2025

    May 20, 2025 By Krystie Johnston Hannover Messe 2025 was an extra special event for Festo. The Festo Group celebrated their 100th anniversary, Festo Canada celebrated their 50th anniversary, and Festo Didactic celebrated their 60th anniversary. Festo Didactic, the education arm of the company, understands how important education is for empowering individuals, driving economic growth,… Read More…

  • EtherCAT in Boost Mode

    May 14, 2025 EtherCAT and PC-based control in test bench technology EtherCAT is by far the fastest Industrial Ethernet technology. Nevertheless, the data acquisition process at Kraus & Naimer’s cam controller test benches called for an even shorter bus cycle. To achieve the required performance, Beckhoff specialists reduced the previous cycle time from 100 µs… Read More…


Featured Article

Revolutionizing Material Movement with Autonomous Mobile Robots

Revolutionizing Material Movement with Autonomous Mobile Robots

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing and logistics industries, the need for efficient and flexible material movement solutions has never been greater. Traditional methods like conveyor systems, forklifts, and manual pushcarts have served us well, but they come with limitations.

That’s why Omron is thrilled to announce the launch of their game-changing MD Series of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Read more


Products

  • Electromate to Offer UR7e, UR12e & UR15 Collaborative Robots from Universal Robots

    May 20, 2025 Electromate is expanding its lineup of collaborative automation solutions with the addition of three advanced models from Universal Robots: the UR7e, UR12e, and UR15. These robots provide enhanced options for payload, reach, and precision in demanding collaborative applications. The UR7e delivers a 7 kg payload, 1300 mm reach, and ±0.03 mm repeatability. Positioned between the UR5e and… Read More…

  • Redefining Non-Invasive Temperature Measurement

    May 14, 2025 iTHERM SurfaceLine TM611 provides accuracy and response time comparable to invasive temperature measurement. The non-invasive thermometer iTHERM SurfaceLine TM611 by Endress+Hauser can be used across all industries for a wide range of demanding industrial applications. The surface-mounted thermometer measures process temperature without the risk of leakage and flow disruption. A specially designed… Read More…