The floating orb that you see here is designed with the intention of being able to pick up small objects and then drop them off where they are needed. It might one day be the perfect autonomous flying machine for delivering small packages. The device has the not so eloquent name of the FreeMotionHandling project and it is from the Festo Bionic Learning Network.
The project is a combination of two other projects including the FlexShapeGripper and the MotionSphere the firm showed off previously. The gripper portion is an autonomous gripping sphere that can hold an object, pick it up, and fly where needed and drop it off. FreeMotionHandling is a concept that features a 54-inch diameter inflated sphere with a rotor ring around it and a gripper attached that is flexible.
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https://www.slashgear.com/freemotionhandling-concept-is-a-flying-helium-filled-gripping-device-08435443/
