A bio-inspired robotic bird that replicates the key movements of kestrels is helping researchers uncover the secrets behind the birds’ remarkable ability to hover.
With climate change expected to intensify atmospheric turbulence, studying how birds naturally navigate and stabilize themselves in rough air could inform the design of small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAVs), making them safer, more efficient, and smoother in flight.
sUAVs are widely used for tasks such as aerial photography, search and rescue operations, agricultural surveillance, and package delivery, yet they are frequently unable to operate in turbulent conditions.
The findings, published in two papers in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, are part of a multi-year collaboration between RMIT University and the University of Bristol, and represent important advances in bio-inspired flight and turbulence mitigation research.
Learning by observing the best
Among the most stable flyers in the bird world, the nankeen kestrel was studied in gusty and turbulent air using motion-capture tracking at RMIT University’s Industrial Wind Tunnel—one of the largest facilities of its kind in Australia.
RMIT researcher Matt Penn, who contributed to the study on how birds cope with turbulent airflow, explained that birds use multiple strategies to withstand rough conditions, enabling them to remain airborne in environments that would normally ground small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAVs).
He noted that birds do not depend on a single reaction to wind gusts. Instead, they continuously fine-tune the position of their wings and tail to maintain balance, while the flexibility of their feathers and joints helps them absorb sudden shifts in airflow. They are also able to detect disturbances very quickly, allowing near-immediate adjustments that help them stay stable and in control.
The Robotic Version
A robotic model designed to replicate the key movements responsible for kestrels’ exceptional flight stability has allowed researchers to take a closer look at the subtle adjustments of wings and body that enable this control.
Dr. Mario Martinez Groves-Raines, who carried out the work during his time at RMIT University and the University of Bristol, explained that the robotic bird made it possible to measure the forces involved with greater precision. He noted that building a robotic replica allowed the team to quantify how individual movements contribute to maintaining stability during flight. Groves-Raines is now based at the Royal Veterinary College in London.
We identified several distinctive methods that contribute to the kestrel’s remarkable stability. Engineers could apply many of these approaches to improve the maneuverability of small aircraft, which face flight challenges similar to those of kestrels.
RMIT senior researcher Associate Professor Abdulghani Mohamed noted that the study underscores the value of collaboration between institutions and offers strong potential for advancing future aircraft design.
“This research demonstrates the potential of drawing inspiration from nature to solve engineering challenges,” Mohamed said.
“Our results pave the way for new approaches to designing aircraft that are more capable of coping with turbulence.”
Future Steps
Although small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAVs) already use several bird-like strategies to reduce disturbances, engineers have not widely adopted many of these methods in real-world aircraft because of their complexity and efficiency trade-offs.
The researchers aim to expand their understanding of kestrels’ highly refined flight control by studying how these birds perceive and respond to their surroundings, including subtle turbulence in environments where sUAVs typically operate.
While the team currently focuses on smaller aircraft, it ultimately hopes to distill the findings into simpler insights that can also be applied to larger aircraft designs.
Read the original article on: Tech Xplore
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