Increasingly, researchers are turning to drones, or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to study animals and ecosystems. But questions remain about any effect these drones might be having on wildlife. While they say there is not yet enough scientific evidence to show the impact of drones on wildlife, two researchers believe there is enough information to […]
Tag: drones
A bird’s eye view of birds
The view seen by humans (left) and drones (right) when trying to count seabird populations from either the ground or the air. (Image credits: Jarrod Hodgson) A new study compares the accuracy of monitoring of sea bird colonies by UAVs and traditional human ground counts and demonstrates that population estimates can be improved with this […]
Hummingbirds could improve drones’ stability
Albatrosses, airplanes, and helicopters all share long narrow wings which provide good aerodynamic efficiency. In contrast the wings of hummingbirds are short and stubby. Conventional aerodynamic theory predicts this should makes them inefficient. In a new study, researchers resolved some of the contradiction by finding that while slender wings are indeed most efficient at a […]
Small drones are now as efficient as hummingbirds
A study reveals that the aerodynamic efficiency of one of the world’s most advanced hummingbird-sized drones, the Black Hornet, is on par with that of actual hummingbirds. While hummingbird wings generate more lift and less drag than an engineered rotor, this shows that artificial man-made wings are closer than ever to approximate the efficiency of […]
