Robotic Penguins 118
Corporate Troll writes "Robotic penguins were unveiled by German engineering firm Festo this week. Using their flippers, the mechanical penguins (video) can paddle through water just like real ones, while larger helium-filled designs can "swim" through the air. The penguins are on show at the Hannover Messe Trade Exhibition in Germany.
Each penguin carries 3D sonar which is used to monitor its surroundings and avoid collisions with walls or other penguins."
Festo makes very nice tools, too (Score:1, Informative)
Festo makes the best power woodworking tools I've ever seen.
Re:This is the future.. (Score:5, Informative)
In Australia, you see them all the time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Penguin [wikipedia.org]
You can even sometimes see them surfing at the beach :) (although what they're actually doing is chasing schools of bait fish inside the waves)
Re:This is the future.. (Score:4, Informative)
Great link. The geek in me of course loved seeing:
Linus Torvalds, the original creator of Linux (a popular operating system kernel), was once bitten by a Little Penguin while on holiday in Australia. Reportedly, this encounter encouraged Torvalds to select Tux as the official Linux mascot.[12]
Fuck me. After those first few posts /. went full circle there, I think.
Re:Future plans (Score:2, Informative)
wouldn't work in space, the fins need something (eg. air) to push against
Happy Feet was not Disney (Score:3, Informative)
I get the sneaking suspicion that Disney is going to buy a whole fleet of these things and create a Happy Feet show at Disney World.
Not all G- or PG-rated animated films with talking animals are produced or published by The Walt Disney Company. March of the Penguins was distributed by Warner. Happy Feet was also Warner. Surf's Up was Columbia. What was Disney's penguin movie called?