Robo-Falcon • Ornithopters come of age.

[Garfly]

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Very clever. Nev

[kgwilson]

Mimicking flight of birds, bats and insects has become achievable with micro electronics and lightweight materials. The bionic swift in this clip even has synthetic feathers. Then there is the bat and dragonfly.

 

 

 

[facthunter]

You won't get the smoothest ride with flapping wings.  Nev

[onetrack]

I couldn't imagine you'd get a very long flight experience in the open air, if there were real bird predators, or even simply larger birds about. Even the Red Wattle Bird (honeyeaters) will attack anything invading their territory.

The landing technique of the Robo-Falcon needs a bit more work, it looked more like a crash landing to me.

[kgwilson]

I guess addine landing gear would complicate it more but I am sure that will come one day perhaps even the ability to move the toes to clasp on to a branch.

[facthunter]

They will never land on waving small pine top of the tree  branches like the cockeys do. Tip feathers are slots too Feathers beat a bat's wing  easily for control and efficiency, That THING is pretty good really for what it is.  Eagles will tear it to Pieces.  They even attack Drifters.  Nev

[Garfly]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

 Eagles will tear it to Pieces.  They even attack Drifters.  Nev

And Goats!

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

On 05/11/2022 at 11:54 AM, facthunter said:

They will never land on waving small pine top of the tree  branches like the cockeys do...

Nev you are a brave man to predict never. 

Whole books could be filled with confidant predictions that were proven wrong. Progress in materials, energy storage and AI could make man-carrying ornithopters viable in my lifetime.

If the military started throwing money at it, almost a certainty.

[Bosi72]

This video is about year old, still fascinating.. 

 

https://youtu.be/tF4DML7FIWk

 

 

 

 

[facthunter]

Not ALL birds can do it, Bruce Cockeys land on the flimsiest of branches and just wave in the wind.  Nev

[spenaroo]

55 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Not ALL birds can do it, Bruce Cockeys land on the flimsiest of branches and just wave in the wind.  Nev

My cockatiel certainly cant, she never has mastered the art of landing, or avoiding walls

[kgwilson]

All the Honey Eaters around here can land on anything & turn themselves upside down & sideways to get a bit of nectar. We have some 6 metre tall bamboo & they can fly in & land on the very top when it is being thrashed around by the wind. They hang on and get bobbed around all over the place. I think they enjoy it. It would be a bit like being on a roller coaster.

Edited November 8, 2022 by kgwilson