Festo representatives will host hands-on demonstrations, April 16-17, and will give a presentation on April 14 during the X-Stem Symposium on bionics. (Festo Booth 1823)

A 21st century menagerie of robots all based on life found in nature is the centerpiece of the Festo educational effort at the USA Science & Engineering Festival, April 14-17 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C. (Festo Booth 1823)

Festo presents its integrative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) solution using hands-on training systems that allow students to apply math and science fundamentals to complete projects using the engineering design process. Middle and high school students learn concepts related to STEM disciplines in a "learning by doing" environment.
Festo Didactic, the companys education division, offers students direct access to industrial knowledge and technologies. These learning systems place students in real-life situations and enable them to quickly gain practical experience of high tech components used in factory and process automation. The Festo Bionic Learning Network - an interdisciplinary consortium of universities, institutes, and development companies - amazes the world with swimming, crawling, and flying robots based on living things and natural systems.
On Thursday, April 14, from 1:10 to 2:15, the Festo Bionic Team with Andrea Ziomek, Corporate Communications Manager for Festo Americas, will demonstrate the adaptive gripper, based on a fish fin; the AirPenguin, which swims through the air much as a penguin swims through the sea; the AirJelly, which floats in the air jellyfish style; and the delicate flittering flight of the eMotion butterflies. A video of the FlexShape Gripper, which captures and holds objects using the same principle as a lizards tongue, will be shown. Repeat demonstrations will be staged on Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. in room 147 and at 1:30 p.m. on the Kids Stage.
Festo will showcase the Bionic Handling Assistant, a flexible robotic arm based on the structure of an elephants trunk, on Saturday and Sunday at Booth 1823 e. Also on display will be the adaptive gripper, used to gently pick up delicate and odd shaped items, and the AquaJellies, autonomous bionic jelly fish swimming in their new 500 gallon tank. An interactive demonstration includes build your own gripper paper models. Representatives from Festo Didactic will be available to showcase training tools that simulate systems found in industry.
"Everyone from Festo going to the festival is excited about it," said Frank Langro, Director of Marketing and Product Management at Festo. "It is heartwarming to see the excitement of the students and to answer their amazing questions. And, we will be interacting with future innovators."

About Festo
Festo is a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. For more than 40 years, Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing and processing equipment.