

Robot SmartBird Flaps and Flies Like the Real Thing [video] - sasvari
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/03/smartbird-flaps-and-flies-like-the-real-thing/

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gr366
Even _better_ than the real thing — the video clearly demonstrates the robot
bird _not_ flying into all those glass windows like its avian counterpart has
been known to do.

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olalonde
Does anyone know how this compares to fixed-wing aircrafts in terms of energy
efficiency?

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StavrosK
So, is that were we are? We have robot birds now? I'm convinced that pretty
soon all privacy will end, because we'll have self-controlled fly (as in the
animal) robot drones that will be able to record their journeys. I'm not so
much afraid of governments dping this, but of creepy guys.

That said, it looks like this bird can't really fly very well. It doesn't stop
flapping its wings to glide, and it looks like it can't control its angle of
ascent very well.

However, I'm sure it'll look and fly exactly like a real bird (even flocking,
perhaps) within a few years.

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vamsee
Actually, it does glide. Check out from 0:16.

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StavrosK
It doesn't show it alternating flapping and gliding, though, the gliding
footage is just of it gliding. Look at the rest of the footage, it keeps
flapping its wings until it stalls. It doesn't seem to be able to control its
flight path.

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billybob
Yes, but it physically can flap to fly, and it physically can glide. Making it
do so alternately is just a matter of software.

Not that I'm underestimating the difficulty of bird-control software
(especially in wind), but I think the most difficult part of this invention is
the physical mechanism and getting it to fly at all.

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StavrosK
Oh, I agree, that's why I think they'll be indistinguishable from real birds
in a couple of years.

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ericmoritz
I had one of those when I was a kid,
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0UK4mTTRsw>

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sheffield
Here is a longer (~half hour) making-of video. Really interesting.

<http://www.festo.com/cms/en_corp/11369_11468.htm#id_11468>

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evo_9
This is slightly less spooky than BigDog:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww>

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hippich
big dog uses RL while this bird robot do not have any learning abilities (at
least nothing is said about it) and is just a remote controlled unit.

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fuzzythinker
Be sure to check out the animation. Also its Bionic Handling Assistant &
Bionic Tripod is amazing as well, reminds me of Dr. Octopus ;)

