Drones or birds ?

A relatively new trend is the development of UAVs, copying birds. Artificial bird with flapping wings at a distance very similar to the living, and this masking is extremely useful, especially in densely populated areas and for surveillance from low altitudes.

With the new program, the Pentagon will create technology that does not simply copy the appearance of birds, but also mimic the mechanics of the flight of birds and their natural ability to navigate in space.

The new program - this is just one of a series of initiatives to copy the features of living things. Currently, the Pentagon, for example, is trying to create robots that replicate the movements of fish and echolocation of bats, insects and tiny hairs are adapted to the navigation system of tiny robots that can respond to the motion of the wind. There is also a program of Great Horned Owl, which tries to create a UAV, flying as quietly as an owl.

The logic of the Pentagon in terms of robotic birds is simple: the robots are more resistant to strong winds, and most importantly - they can hover in place and actively maneuver in tight spaces. Modern UAVs do not have such opportunities.UAV with a long fixed-wing capable of long time to float in the air, but can not hang on the spot to land vertically and fly among the trees. UAVs, helicopters can do it, but they can not soar, and spend a lot of fuel. Birds are able to perform these maneuvers with equal efficiency.

Some progress in the development of robotic birds are already there. For example, last year`s defense science agency DARPA has announced a competition to create unmanned aerial vehicles capable of stay in the air for up to three hours and imitating birds.AeroVironment company introduced its robotic "hummingbird» Hummingbird, which demonstrates the benefits of a flapping wing. Using only the motion of their wings (no propeller), "Hummingbird" can fly back and forth, hovering in the air (despite the wind), and fly through doorways and windows. A small robot weighs 540 grams and in real-time video transfers to the control panel.

Unfortunately, the problem of energy supply limits flight time of 8 minutes Hummingbird. Flapping wing consumes a lot of energy and requires a powerful and compact power supply, which in the commercial market yet.

/AzerTAc/