Collaborate Disseminate
In 2019, a bold male seabird threw caution to the wind, flying above Typhoon Faxai as the storm pummeled southeastern Japan. It was the start of an 11-hour, 1,146-km (712-mile) crazy journey, that took the bird 15,000 feet higher than normal, at three … Continue reading Bird takes on typhoon for an insane 700-mile sky-high ride of his life
Finland may be known as the happiest country on the planet. But right now, if any residents want to leave their paradise to travel to certain parts of the UK, they can ditch their paper passport and use a smartphone instead.Continue ReadingCategory: Te… Continue reading Digital passports are here to speed up travel, and Finland is first to fly
Flying a glider, or similarly piloting a paraglider or hang glider, can all be pathways into aviation with a lower barrier of entry than powered flight. Sacrificing one’s engine does …read more Continue reading Adding Variometer Functionality to a GPS
Effectively, these bots are built in segments, and each segment has its own multicopter propulsion unit, capable of vectoring thrust in any direction thanks to multi-axis gimbal systems. The segments are joined together, but capable of articulating in … Continue reading Multi-segment shapeshifter drones: The precursors to flying squid-bots
Engineers at MIT have added a new ability to existing flying robots – they can now glow when they flap their wings. Inspired by fireflies, this fluorescence could help with communication or tracking of the tiny, lightweight robots.Continue ReadingCateg… Continue reading Robotic fireflies light up with every flap of their wings
One staple of science fiction is the ornithopter, which is a plane with moving wings. While these haven’t proved very practical in the general sense, a recent paper talks about …read more Continue reading Up in the Sky… It’s a Bird… It’s a Drone… Oh Yeah, It’s a Drone
No matter how good our human designs may be, evolution has had a 4-billion-year head start, so there’s no shame in copying off Mother Nature’s homework. Engineers at the University of Bristol have done just that – and even improved on it – developing a… Continue reading Dragonfly-sized drone flaps its wings more efficiently than insects
Whether you think it’s cool or unnerving, robots are becoming more agile – and Caltech’s LEONARDO looks like one of the most nimble examples yet. LEO walks on two legs, jumps and flies, can balance on a slackline and even skateboard.Continue ReadingCat… Continue reading Bipedal robot/drone hybrid can walk, fly and skateboard
Engineers at Northwestern University have given microchips a new ability – the power of flight. Inspired by wind-dispersed seeds, these “microfliers” are shaped like tiny propellers to catch the wind, and may be the smallest flying structures ever made… Continue reading Helicopter-shaped microchip is smallest flying structure ever built
While dinosaurs roamed the Earth, flying reptiles called pterosaurs ruled the skies above. These included the largest animals to ever take flight, and a new study has uncovered some of the biological secrets that helped them grow so large. CT scans hav… Continue reading Bizarre bones helped giant pterosaurs straighten up and fly light