Technology
Learning from nature: a new flapping drone can take off, hover and swoop like a bird – The Conversation AU
Inspired by the aerobatic manoeuvres of the swift, a new “flapping wing” aircraft can hover, glide and dive much better than quadcopter-style drones.
We have developed four-winged bird-like robots, called ornithopters, that can take off and fly with the agility of swifts, hummingbirds and insects. We did this by reverse engineering the aerodynamics and biomechanics of these creatures.
Our ornithopters have the potential to outperform and outmanoeuvre existing drone configurations with static wings or propellers.
Read more:
How modern technology is inspired by the natural world
What are ornithopters?
Ornithopters are flying machines ba…
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