Big Bird: A robot with wings

Why robots can not fly like birds? .. Very grounded. UAV SmartBird furor at the conference TED.
With the help of highly sophisticated technologies, engineers create robots that are more or less plausibly simulate the movement of people and animals, fish, snakes and worms ... but the flight of birds primaries so far remained a dream.So far we have not seen it first hand - on the famous educational conference TED, where Marcus Fisher (Markus Fischer), head of the company's development team Festo, has demonstrated his creation, SmartBird , flying robot-gull. And, of course, picked ovation.
Ultra-light apparatus differs carefully counted aerodynamics. In fact, the authors failed to reveal his "secret" of the flight of birds, thereby realizing an ancient dream of humanity. It was from this they had to begin. Creating SmartBird started with the project Bionic Learning, in which were the most careful studies of the flight of various birds. The very same robot, which was conceived, must move in the manner of seagulls - the birds with a very stable flight.
According to the developers, a key element of the wing movements - apart, of course, to raise and lower - has been actively twisting the leading edge. And the wing design is that the twist is growing from its base to the tip. As a result, during the ascent of the wing leading edge is directed slightly upward, providing a powerful lift. "Active" twist implies that to achieve this by mere elastic properties of the wing is not possible, it has to achieve by applying energy and careful monitoring.
As with ordinary birds, the main focus of the "body» SmartBird - there are control mechanism, the energy source (batteries), electric motor, creating a movement of the wings and tail, two-speed transmission and a set of sensors. They, in particular, can consistently and accurately control the position of both wings. Also, the tail, which, like this seagull, can vary the height and direction of flight.
Throughout the design using the most lightweight and durable materials, have made the minimum energy requirements for flight. As a result - even for take-off SmartBird costs alone wings, without requiring any additional means of traction.
So far, the project SmartBird - a demonstration of technology, even for themselves the creators of Festo. But it received the results of aero-and hydrodynamics enabled the company to improve its core products, engine components. However, perhaps the situation will change soon. Sooner or later SmartBird certainly become a major - in fact such beauty and such a perfect and certainly there will be a place and use. Just like their counterparts from the water element,