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Product desription: ARTICLE
2750 words. 22 pages. Includes many images sketches and diagrams.
The article starts with exploring the scientific work done by FESTO – engineering independent flying things – using cutting edge technology. At the same time, I explore many different things related to these modern inventions and innovations—for example, quantum computers, Bluetooth, microprocessors, aerodynamics, and more. Also, wait for the philosophical note included in the overview. If you fine-tune your hearing, you will hear the grand electronic organ playing in the background – filling in the ‘bigger picture,’ so to speak. I start with a popular book on writing by Roy Peter Clark.
The prompt for flying more than once over Festo’s Bionic Flying Fox and Smartbird’s nest:
I have been listening to a book on writing by the well-known author Roy Peter Clark – Murder you Darlings – on the Audible app. He refers to many other authors who have written books on writing. In fact, it ranges from Aristotle to William Zinsser. Excellent book on developing your writing skills. Well done, Mister Clark. Another compliment, sir – your book ‘Writing Tools’ is one of my favourites and sits proudly on my shelf close to where I can reach it.
At the same time, I have discovered the brilliant work by Festo on flying and creeping things – referring to the images and videos in this article. Festo’s implementation of technology is absolutely stunning. See links to their work in the articles: Smartbird, Bionic Flying Fox, AquaJelly, BionicWheelBot, AirRay, and more. Robots powered by lithium batteries, plastic gears, microprocessors, small electrical motors, receivers, transmitters, arms, rods, axles, and more lightweight parts and components are revealed. See the specifications sheet of the Smartbird in this article by Festo.
To reflect on Leonardo Da Vinci’s pioneering design work, one of his sketches is Flying Machine 1452-1519. This will place the primitive design of Da Vinci in contrast with the modern design techniques for flying things by Festo and then, ultimately comparing it to the design work of Jehovah (another flight). It is a beautiful comparison that provides just so much scientific and design insight.
Here is one of Leonardo’s earlier sketches for a flying machine.
Leonardo da Vinci: Diagram of a proposed flying machine (1789).
Title: Disegni di Leonardo da Vinci
Creator: Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519
Contributor: Prints by Carlo Giuseppe Gerli
Date: 1789
Published: Trieste: La Roccia, 1974 (Reprint of the 1784 edition)
Identifier: FT-21 Tavola XL c
Format: Book
Rights: Public domain
Courtesy: Toronto Public Library.
SKETCHES BY THE AUTHOR:
Waxflatter Ornithopter (fictional flying machine – Sherlock Holmes Movie). Convinced that mankind would conquer the skies, Waxflatter built himself a human-powered flying machine, which he proceeded to test on six occasions before his murder in 1870. After investigating Waxflatter’s death, Brompton students Sherlock Holmes and John Watson used the Ornithopter in an attempt to rescue Waxflatter’s niece, Elizabeth Hardy, from the clutches of the Ramatep, a fanatical group of religious followers of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead, who were seeking revenge for Waxflatter’s involvement in the destruction of an Egyptian village many years earlier. Although the flight was successful, due to it lasting longer than all of Waxflatter’s previous attempts combined, the Ornithopter was destroyed on landing when it fell through the ice covering the Thames. Credit: William Van Zyl (author’s sketchbook). Details:https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-the-waxflatter-ornithopter-by-elstree-film-studios-5708435/?from=salesummary&pos=72&intObjectID=5708435&sid=5f7f5be1-3d76-4db1-a20d-90a62808a30c
From the author’s sketchbook. Design and kinematic analysis of seagull inspired flapping-wing robot. Powered by an electric motor. William Van Zyl
Published in 2016 IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation (ICIA) 2016
Credit – inspiration for the freehand sketch: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Design-and-kinematic-analysis-of-seagull-inspired-Jiang-Zhou/0b208d8161675da13d0d9956bdc2d16cfc30db9e/figure/3
Description
EXCERPT:
Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn,
Wire, briar, limber lock
Three geese in a flock
One flew East
One flew West
And one flew over the Bionic Flying Fox’s nest.
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In the artificial nest lay two eggs – not a bird in sight. Below the nest – and interwoven in the dry grass – was a cobweb of shiny copper wire. The heat-sensing camera saw tiny waves of heat emitting from the delicate copper wires. A dim red light lit up the room. The nest was cosy-warm.
Against the wall were several charts on navigation, breeding, mating, feeding, migration, aeronautical facts, bird-decision-making, raising baby chicks, the evolution of birds, and more.
“Bird decision-making” read the title of one of the massive posters. Sophisticated sketches and annotations enlightened the detail. The different decision making patterns were dissected and grouped together in clusters — a fabulous display of bird-thinking.
The charts and posters showed mechanical gears, arms, rods, axles, electronics, Lithium batteries, Bluetooth codes, Wi-Fi codes and electrical circuits. Intricate computer code covered the third wall.
A giant computer was on display in the corner of the room – a large screen and motherboard. Next to it hung a ‘golden chandelier’ from the ceiling. Many cables, tubes, and wires ran from the chandelier to the computer screen. The room was cold, sterile cold—the inscription on the base of the ice-cold ‘chandelier’ read Quantum Computing IBM.
On the screen, delicate and intricate computer code ran at lightning speed across the computer screen monitor.
A ‘flying fox’ – a giant bat – hung suspended from the ceiling in bright white colours. It seemed feather-light – swaying slowly.
Read the full article here (blog post):
https://fivehousepublishing.com/2021/06/19/one-flew-over-the-bionic-flying-foxs-nest/
