Look, It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! No, It’s an Avian Robot
11/1/2010
By Grace V. Jean
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — To conduct surveillance missions while on patrol in Afghanistan, soldiers and marines hand-launch toy model-sized airplanes called the Raven.
If Air Force Research Laboratory scientists are successful in the coming five years, troops one day may send up robots that actually look and fly like real birds.
In a new $1.5 million micro air vehicle indoor flight test facility, researchers are developing a small avian robot capable of operating semi-autonomously for a week with onboard sensors to detect weapons of mass destruction.
“What we’re doing here in the lab is we’re exploring the science and engineering and the design challenges to make this a reality,” said Leslie Perkins, who leads the lab’s micro air vehicles activity.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2010/11/1/2010november-look-its-a-bird-its-a-plane-no-its-an-avian-robot
