Talking Robots: Rudolf Bannasch

Posted 28 Sep 2007 at 09:37 UTC by mwaibel

The latest Talking Robots podcast interview is with Rudolf Bannasch, who seems to be single-handedly driving European research in Bionics. Professor at the Technical University in Berlin, Germany, coordinator of the German bionics competence network BIOKON, and founder of the startup company EvoLogics, he is a powerhouse of creativity when it comes to translating natural phenomena into engineering applications. He has studied penguins, mantas, dolphins and arctic birds, and then extracted key properties of these animals to optimize the performance of propellers, underwater modems, grippers, underwater vessels and aircraft (Turns out if you put penguins into wind-tunnels you are in for a real surprise - and yet another product for your startup!). Tune in for an overview of the state-of-the art and future in bionics, and for more information on Bannasch's aqua-ray and air-ray robots, artificial penguins, or humanoid arms with fluidic muscles!