There is without a doubt beauty in problem solving and engineering. I guess I think the article doesn't stress how far we have yet to go.
Festo's SmartBird website proclaims: "With SmartBird, Festo has succeeded in deciphering the flight of birds – one of the oldest dreams of humankind." That's just sales talk. It's not true. The gull still flies better than SmartBird does.
I stand by my point that "SmartBird" is neither smart (compared to a bird), nor a bird.
Nature has had billions of years to perfect her design, and we've only been trying for a few hundred years. I'd say that is pretty good considering.