



Overview
Inspired by cuttlefish, marine flatworms and knifefish, BionicFinWave swims by sending a continuous wave along two silicone side fins, which lets it move slowly and precisely and even reverse. Festo demonstrated it navigating autonomously through a transparent pipe system while reporting temperature and pressure wirelessly, as a concept for inspection in water and wastewater plants. Festo unveiled it in June 2018 alongside its bionic spider and flying-fox robots.
- Type
- Swimming robot · Robot fish & biomimetic swimmers
- Maker
- Festo Bionic Learning Network, Germany
- Released
- 2018
- Price
- Not for sale
- Status
- Not for sale (research)
- Best for
- Professionals & labs
- Programming
- No programmability
Price and shipping
Corporate technology demonstrator
Shipping: Not for sale. Trade-show demonstrator. Festo does not sell it.
Specifications
| Category | Swimming robots · Robot fish & biomimetic swimmers |
|---|---|
| Released | 2018 |
| Country | Germany |
| Availability | Not for sale (research) |
| Programmability | No programmability |
| Built-in autonomy | Reactive · Responds to its surroundings without a map, such as avoiding obstacles or following a person |
| LLM support | None · No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one. |
| Best for | Professionals & labs |
| Vision sensors | Sonar / ultrasonic |
| Actuators | Unknown |
| Audio | No audio |
| Compute type | Proprietary / undisclosed |
| Remote control | Not programmable |
| Size | 370 mm long, 430 g |
| Propulsion | Two silicone longitudinal fins driven by two servo motors via 3D-printed crankshafts, a third servo bends the body to climb or dive |
| Depth rating | Acrylic-glass pipe system (demonstrator) |
| Tether / comms | Untethered, radio module transmits sensor data to a tablet |
| Camera | None |
| Sensors | Pressure sensor and ultrasound distance sensors in the nose, temperature logging |
| Runtime | Not published |
| Speed | Not published |
| Compute | Onboard PCB with processor and radio module |
| SDK | None public |
Common questions
How much does BionicFinWave cost?
Not for sale. Corporate technology demonstrator.
Can BionicFinWave be bought today?
No. It was never sold to the public.
Who makes BionicFinWave?
BionicFinWave is made by Festo Bionic Learning Network, Germany. It came out in 2018.
Can BionicFinWave be programmed?
No programmability.
Does BionicFinWave have AI chat or LLM support?
None. No built-in LLM and no SDK to connect one.
Ratings & reviews
Ratings and reviews load on the live site.
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