The AirJelly, a massive floating jellyfish created by the German automation masters at FESTO, should be terrifying, but it’s not. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen take flight.
Propelled by eight electric-driven tentacles and lifted by a spherical helium-filled body, the AirJelly moves through the air with a unique grace. But why make a big flying jellyfish in the first place? Basically to see if a big flying jellyfish was possible, the designers explain:
Can the jellyfish’s motion through water serve as a propulsion principle for an airborne object? In other words, is it possible to glide through the air as a jellyfish swims through water?…Seeking recourse to jellyfish as a source of inspiration for powering gas-filled balloons is an obvious thought; after all, a jellyfish consists of water to 99%. Its weight-to-volume ratio is approximately 1, and the figure is similar for a gas-filled balloon.
Well, guys, good thinking. [Katie Linendoll via Biz Stone]