Robotic ants could be the future of factory production systems. The developers, German technology firm Festo, said it is not just the unusual anatomy of real-world ants that inspired the larger bionic version (about the size of a human hand). The collective intelligence of an ant colony was also something they wanted to replicate.The bionic ants cooperate and coordinate their actions and movements to achieve a common aim - in the same way individual ants complete tasks for the whole colony. Festo said in the future production systems will be based on intelligent individual components that adjust themselves to different production demands by communicating with each other.The bionic ants are able to complete complex tasks, like transporting large, heavy loads, by working together.The bionic robot features a stereo camera and a floor sensor that together allow it to work out its location and identify objects to be grabbed by grippers at the front of its "head". The antennae double up as chargers for the lithium batteries that power the ants' movements. A radio module in the abdomen allows the ants to communicate with each other wirelessly.Just like their natural counterparts, the ants have six articulated legs.Festo said the way the bionic ants are constructed is also unique. The bodies are made from a 3D printed plastic powder melted layer by layer with a laser. The circuitry is also 3D printed on top of the body. Festo said this is the first time the techniques have been combined.Festo works on transferring natural phenomena to engineering techniques and equipment.Festo plans to exhibit its robotic ants in April at the world's biggest industrial technology fair, Hannover Messe, where the German engineering company will also show off other recent creations, like cooperative artificial butterflies. ..