Robo-Raven
June 6th, 2013Via: Military.com:
A robotic bird created by Army and University of Maryland researchers is tricking real flocks — and hawks — midair, making it a potential unsuspecting future war agent.
Robo-Raven glides, soars and flaps like a real bird. Complete individual wing control allows for extreme aerobatics that no other mechanical bird has ever been able to perform, Army Research Laboratory researchers claim. But its ability to hide in plain sight and light weight is what excites researchers most.
“It already attracts attention from birds in the area which tends to hide its presence,” said John Gerdes, a mechanical engineer with the Vehicle Technology Directorate at APG.
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 toward test flights.
“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.”
With the aggressive maneuvers they are working on, the perch and stare mission could be possible, and when combined with solar cell wings that the University of Maryland is working on, researchers could land and charge the Robo-Raven then resume a mission.
Robo-Raven is much quieter than the helicopter or propeller, so it could get much closer to an adversary without revealing its presence. It’s made out of carbon fiber, 3D-printed lightweight thermalresistant plastic, Mylar foil and foam. The geometrically complex figure is shorter than two feet and weighs less than a can of soda.
Programmed wing motion helps Robo-Raven’s wings maintain optimal velocity during the flap cycle to achieve the right balance at takeoff.
the ‘Festo’ bird –
https://www.cryptogon.com/?p=21437
– is a lot different from this new Robo-Raven
http://wonderfulengineering.com/robotic-bird-is-so-real-it-got-attacked-by-a-real-hawk/
this bird looks much more simple AND “made from 3d printed parts”
pretty cool actually. If you scaled it up could you make an Icarus model?