Flying penguins!

Festo’s famous bionic AirPenguins (Video) will be flying at The Gadget Show Live. Visitors can watch the popular Channel Five TV (GB) show’s presenters perform a live version of the TV programme, and attend a range of special theatres and features to gain insight into top gadgets of the past, present and future, as well as see the Festo penguins fly.

A Festo AirPenguin can also be seen in the event’s Future Tech Zone, which is designed to provide people with a personal and interactive glimpse into the future. Steve Sands, Festo’s Marketing Manager, will be on hand to answer questions about the robotic technology behind the penguins and the likely impact of such biomechatronic systems on future automation.

The Future Tech Zone will also feature Festo’s AirMotion Ride, which is a six-axis simulator capable of reproducing all the dynamic thrills of driving a racing car around a challenging circuit. All movement of the participant’s seat is controlled by Festo fluidic muscles, which are powerful pneumatically-powered actuators capable of exceptionally fast and smooth operation. It can be just as much fun – some might even say more – watching people on the simulator, as it is actually experiencing the ride.

More information about Festo’s AirPenguins is on the website here. As well as detailed downloadable technical information about the AirPenguins, this page contains links to other bionic delights, including their associates, the AquaPenguins. There’s even a link to Channel Five’s website, showing what happened when one of the Gadget Show‘s presenters visited Festo’s headquarters in Germany last year, and went swimming with the AquaPenguins.