A pigeon-inspired robot has uncovered the mystery of bird flight without vertical tails found in human-designed aircraft. The prototype has the potential to lead to passenger planes that can reduce drag and fuel consumption.
The vertical stabilizer, or tail fin, in aircraft allows for side-to-side turns and prevents unintentional changes in direction. Some military aircraft, like the Northrop B-2 Spirit, are designed without tails to reduce radar visibility. Instead, they use inefficient methods like flaps creating extra resistance on one side.
Research by David Lentink at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands led to the development of the PigeonBot II to study how birds maintain control without vertical stabilizers.
PigeonBot II, a robot designed to imitate bird flight techniques
Eric Chan
The previous model, built in 2020, mimicked bird flight by flapping wings but had a traditional tail. The new design, featuring 52 real pigeon feathers, incorporates a bird-like tail, and successful test flights confirm its functionality.
Lentink explains that PigeonBot II’s success lies in its programmed, reflexive tail movements resembling those of birds. The intricate tail movements contribute to stability, proven by the robotic replica’s flight.
The team controlled PigeonBot II’s nine servo motors, utilizing propellers on each wing for steering and tail adjustments in response to the autopilot’s commands. Lentink notes that the complexity of these reflex movements prevents direct human control of PigeonBot II.
After numerous unsuccessful tests, the control system was refined, enabling safe takeoff, cruising, and landing. Lentink envisions a future where vertical stabilizers are unnecessary, reducing weight and drag in aircraft designs.
Source: www.newscientist.com
