Robot Bird

A team in Europe developed the world's first robot that actually flys like a bird.  The video below shows how Markus Fischer and his team at Festo used nature as their inspiration for a flying robot.  Their design uses ultralight components and wings specially constructed to mimic the flapping of a real bird.  The video includes a brief overview of the design by Mr. Fischer and a demonstration of the robot flying over the audience.  Some ideas to consider: 1) How else can we use nature to design technical solutions? and 2) How can advancements in ultralight/lightweight technologies help in the design of other technologies?


http://www.ted.com/talks/a_robot_that_flies_like_a_bird.html

Forces:
Technological -  The technology behind the light-weight composites was key to making this innovation successful.

Environmental - The designers used their natural environment (birds) to help in their design.