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Forget props and fixed wings. New bio-inspired drones mimic birds, bats and bugs.

JacksinPA

JacksinPA

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Forget props and fixed wings. New bio-inspired drones mimic birds, bats and bugs.

Researchers see big things for the tiny flying machines.

From hummingbirds that zip about in all directions to bats that veer sharply to nab flies in midair and land upside down to hang from cave ceilings, the world is filled with extraordinary flying animals.

These tiny aviators are more agile than any aircraft — but that may be about to change. Inspired by the aerial abilities of birds, bats and insects, researchers are crafting a new generation of ultralight drones that lack propellers and are equipped not with fixed wings but with flapping ones.
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Great, innovative stuff. But not that new. I know there is a CD of patent pdfs relating to devices of this type on eBay.
 
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JacksinPA said:
Forget props and fixed wings. New bio-inspired drones mimic birds, bats and bugs.

Researchers see big things for the tiny flying machines.

From hummingbirds that zip about in all directions to bats that veer sharply to nab flies in midair and land upside down to hang from cave ceilings, the world is filled with extraordinary flying animals.

These tiny aviators are more agile than any aircraft — but that may be about to change. Inspired by the aerial abilities of birds, bats and insects, researchers are crafting a new generation of ultralight drones that lack propellers and are equipped not with fixed wings but with flapping ones.
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Great, innovative stuff. But not that new. I know there is a CD of patent pdfs relating to devices of this type on eBay.
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That sounds both exciting and frightening. A certain episode of Black Mirror comes to mind.
 
Phys251 said:
That sounds both exciting and frightening. A certain episode of Black Mirror comes to mind.
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I have a hummingbird feeder on my porch & watch these birds do incredible things besides flying: hovering, reversing, you name it. And besides that they make maps of area feeders in their brains. I moved the feeder about 5 feet & they still showed up where it had been, then left even though they could easily see it a short distance away.
 
JacksinPA said:
I have a hummingbird feeder on my porch & watch these birds do incredible things besides flying: hovering, reversing, you name it. And besides that they make maps of area feeders in their brains. I moved the feeder about 5 feet & they still showed up where it had been, then left even though they could easily see it a short distance away.
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I agree that hummingbirds are amazing animals and that this would be amazing technology. Doesn't change the serious risks associated with drones designed to mimic flying animals.

Go watch Black Mirror's "Hated in the Nation" and get back to me.
 
Phys251 said:
I agree that hummingbirds are amazing animals and that this would be amazing technology. Doesn't change the serious risks associated with drones designed to mimic flying animals.

Go watch Black Mirror's "Hated in the Nation" and get back to me.
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I'm not familiar with that series but will check it out on Netfiix on my tablet tonight. Thanks for the tip!
 
JacksinPA said:
I'm not familiar with that series but will check it out on Netfiix on my tablet tonight. Thanks for the tip!
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It's an anthology, so you don't have to watch all the preceding episodes to catch up.
 
A similar type of flying vehicle is described in Dune- theyre called ornithopters.
 
Another critter with amazing flight abilities using totally different mechanics is the dragonfly. Two sets of wings can be used together or independently. One of the first flying creatures to evolve.

Dragonflies adjust their wing motion while hovering to conserve energy, according to a Cornell University study of the insect's flight mechanics. ... The physicists found that dragonflies maximized their lift, when accelerating or taking off from a perch, by flapping both sets of wings together. Sep 27, 2007

See Flight Mechanics of a Dragonfly | Journal of Experimental Biology
 
Phys251 said:
I agree that hummingbirds are amazing animals and that this would be amazing technology. Doesn't change the serious risks associated with drones designed to mimic flying animals.

Go watch Black Mirror's "Hated in the Nation" and get back to me.
Click to expand...

I watched series #5 episode #1 last night & was about to lose interest half way through. About 2 guys who get involved in a VR internet game that is totally absorbing. It starts out as brutal fighting but ends up with the 2 avatars having passionate sexual affairs that actually translates into their expressing gay interests in their real as well as alternate lives. Interesting story line but not enough there for me to spend 90 minutes per episode & then have to pay for the earlier season episodes.
 
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