3 ms·
I feel it's more important to ask "why would we really want a flapping drone, other than 'fun toy?' Faking out birds seems to me like a poor answer.
by headsoup 4y ago
I feel it's more important to ask "why would we really want a flapping drone, other than 'fun toy?'
Faking out birds seems to me like a poor answer.
- perilunar 4y agoOrnithopters are more manoeuvrable than fixed wing drones, and (potentially) more efficient than quadcopters or helicopters.
- onefish 4y agoThe aerodynamics of flapping aren't actually very well understood, so one of the reasons is just a platform for applied experiments. The reason you would want such a platform is because bird fight is potentially more energy efficient than anything humans have developed (as seems to be the case with so many naturally evolved mechanisms).
- twelvedogs 4y agoevolution produces end results that are worthwhile fully understanding at the very least, i imagine hovering around on updrafts is pretty energy efficient off the top of my head too
- beambot 4y agoNoise? Drone propellers are ridiculously loud.
- Animats 4y agoSurveillance drones. If not in use in Ukraine already, they probably will be soon.
- m463 4y agoI think the answer would be "what birds do is quiet and efficeent, we should do that!" But really it's probably just like robotic hands - we just don't have small powerful/precise robotic muscles and we won't do a good job. So I think we're not going to completely emulate a bird soon.