A wave of the future: robot that flies like a bird.

[1monster]

A friend sent this link in an e-mail. It is from TED.com and shows an amazing robot that flies like a herring gull. It is well worth the six minutes and 20 seconds to watch.

http://www.ted.com/talks/a_robot_that_flies_like_a_bird.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-07-26&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email

[woo me with science]

1. Oh my gosh.

Talk about stealth for warfare, or domestic spying.

This is amazing. Thank you for posting this.

[1monster]

3. Funny, my husband said virtually the same thing when I showed him this... And I, the more

politically informed in this family, was just awed at the awesome scientific study and engineering that went into the creation of that robot.

Sigh. I guess I'm still the romantic and he is the realist.

[Romulox]

2. Cool. Here's a $30 toy that does the same thing.

Cool video, but the copy: "Plenty of robots can fly -- but none can fly like a real bird." is pretty misleading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhKwLihuGEQ

[1monster]

4. Not quite the same thing. That toy did not fly anything like a bird. It flies, yes,

but not like a bird. And in a few frames, it sure looks like there is a tether attached to the front. Maybe an optical illusion, maybe not. The toy looks more like a kite than a bird.

[Romulox]

6. There are plenty of fancier RC ornithopters, and yes, they really do fly.

I was just showing the most lowly version to demonstrate that the claims made on the website are debatable at best. It appears that the innovation of the model shown in the OP's video is a two jointed wing.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kah4ODbZNFE

[1monster]

8. Same fixed wing as the smaller one you posted up thread. It does not fly like a bird.

[Romulox]

11. I think you've a very narrow definition of "like a bird" though.

A bird flies by flapping its wings. As does an ornithopter.

[EOTE]

12. Fixed wing? I don't think so.

I believe a fixed wing would be one that doesn't move, such as in an airplane. I don't see how either of those ornithopters fit the definition of a fixed wing.

[1monster]

13. You are right; fixed wing was the wrong term. However, those examples posted

above fly more like butterflies (only much faster wing movement) than birds. The wing designs are nothing like a bird.

I fail to understand those who must denigrate a truly remarkable achievement by insisting that a seriously inferior design is comparable. It is like comparing Orville and Wilbur Wright's plane to a modern jet fighter or to the just retired shuttle fleet.

The remarkablity is not in that they all fly. After all, remote control air vehicles have been flying for many years. I have a neat little helicopter that flies nicely. The awesome thing is that the robot in the TED video could easily be mistaken for a real bird if there was not scale for size. And the size will probably soon be commensurate with the real bird in time.

[EOTE]

14. There seems to be very little different between the designs.

The portions of the wing in the demonstration move independently, but aren't controlled independently. I'd think that most ornithopters could be modified to do that with a simple hinge.

I don't know if anyone is denigrating this achievement, just saying that the claims might be a bit bold for what is actually produced.

[Romulox]

7. BTW: "the way a bird flies" is by flapping its wings.

That's what ornithopters do, by definition.

[Uncle Joe]

5. That is most impressive.

Thanks for the thread, 1monster.

[1monster]

9. Your welcome.

[geardaddy]

10. I love TED talks.

Thanks for posting this.