A robotic bird created in conjunction with U.S. Army could be developed into an unsuspecting future war agent.
The Robo-Raven’s manoeuvres are so realistic that other birds are fooled into thinking it is one of them.
Its ability to hide in plain sight and light weight could prove valuable in military operations, claim Army Research Laboratory researchers.It weighs just 9.7 grams and has a wingspan of 34.3 cm
‘It already attracts attention from birds in the area which tends to hide its presence,’ said John Gerdes, a mechanical engineer at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Seagulls, songbirds and sometimes crows tend to try to fly in a formation near the bird during testing, but birds of prey, like falcons and hawks take a much more aggressive approach.
‘Generally we don’t see them coming,’ Gerdes said. ‘They will dive and attack by hitting the bird from above with their talons, then they typically fly away.’
Scientists at the University of Maryland made Robo-Raven out of carbon fibre, thermal-resistant plastic, Mylar foil and foam.
It has the unique ability to flap its wings completely independently of each other, enabling the bird to perform extreme aerobatic manoeuvres.
Using two actuators for the wings required a bigger battery and an on-board micro controller, which initially made Robo-Raven too heavy to fly.
To reduce the weight, engineers turned to advanced manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and laser cutting.
The system now weighs just 9.7 grams and has a wing span of 34.3cm. It can carry a payload of almost six grams.