A university in China has debuted a drone named “Little Falcon” that mimics the behavior of a bird with remarkable accuracy.
Knewz.com has learned that the drone flaps its wings much like the real-life bird of prey, giving it an agility that traditional drones often lack, according to China Daily.
The ornithopter – a term used for aircraft that can flap their wings – could have major civilian and military use cases moving forward.
The report said the drone’s design “opens up new horizons” for biologically designed robotics. Its structure is based on anatomical principles, which allows it to simultaneously flap and fold its wings, creating a near-perfect mimicry of a bird.
The crank system used to create the flapping motion is also an entirely new invention that could be used in other applications in the future.
The team behind the drone said it could be incredibly useful for environmental monitoring. Modern drones are loud and obvious, frightening away wildlife.
There are also obvious military applications, as it could be a valuable tool for surveillance by seamlessly blending into the natural environment.
While modern stealth aircraft focus on reducing noise and using electromagnetic waves to divert modern search systems, the Little Falcon could be a useful spy tool because adversarial militaries may spot the drone but think nothing of it, assuming it is a bird.
The military connection is not simple conjecture, as Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, where the drone was invented, is an important defense industry research institute, and it supplies the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with drones, according to Newsweek.
The university has a program dedicated to unmanned aerial vehicles and has “close ties to state-owned shipbuilding and aerospace conglomerates.”
A recent project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program successfully landed on a branch, providing both the camouflage of flight and the ability to remain motionless in one location.
China is a dominant force in the drone marketplace, particularly low-cost aircraft that can create “swarms.” DJI, which is based in the southern city of Shenzhen, produces 70% of the world’s personal-sized drones.
The U.S. has dramatically revamped its drone program in response and is pursuing the technology as part of the future of its military.
Military conflicts in the past few years have featured a massive amount of drones, and they have become a go-to tool of warfare in Ukraine and the Middle East.
In mid-February, the Netherlands sent advanced drones to Ukraine to help it continue its war effort just two weeks after a drone attack from Kyiv managed to destroy a Russian warship.
In the Middle East, the Houthis, who have been firing rockets at container ships passing through the Red Sea, managed to shoot down a U.S. Reaper drone over Yemen, which marked a significant victory for the rebel group.
Amid the war in Gaza, Israel revealed a new drone it claims is so precise it can carry out precision strikes against somebody driving a car while keeping the passenger alive.
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Author: Kevin McSpadden
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