After i dead spiders transformed into robots, the so-called “necrobotics” takes another step forward. A research team fromUniversity of New Mexico has found a way to turn stuffed birds into flying drones. According to Dr Mostafa Hassanalian and the PhD student Amier Mirzaeinia, authors of the study, these new drones could be the most efficient way to better study wildlife.
And maybe (but I say this, don't pay too much attention to it), it could be useful for espionage or military activities. ssh.
Hitchcock would make a sequel
In a presentation, Dr. Hassanalian shows the first prototype of a "bird drone" (in reality they have already created a small flock of them) and explains that the path towards the final goal is held back by the obstacle of noise. If the purpose is to fly these devices for “study” purposes, birds and people will be quite impressed by the sound they make. It would be useful to silence them a bit.
That aside, the look of the “drones” is impressive, for better or worse. The combination of taxidermy bird parts and artificial mechanisms produces movement that quite realistically mimics bird movements. We could consider it a good starting point: I just can't imagine an arrival point. At least not before you get over the discomfort of these images.
Birds transformed into drones, possible applications
In addition to the study of migratory birds and wildlife, and the inevitable possibilities in the field of espionage, these drones can be a good test bed for testing aerodynamic solutions. Methods that one day, perhaps, engineers could also apply to aircraft for the transport of things and people.
“We want to optimize drones with our control algorithm to achieve the same benefits as birds,” says Hassanalian in a note on the University website. “If we use flocks of drones in formation like birds, we will have aircraft capable of consuming up to 40% less fuel.”
This research is just beginning, and looks forward to the next 100 years. Once automatic flight was achieved, the airplanes could enter V-formation and mimic birds
Mostafa Hassanalian
I imagine them, our descendants, looking at a flock of airplanes saying “how wonderful! And to think that our ancestors started by stuffing birds and making them fly like drones." What do friends of Generation Z say? CRINGE.
