Feathered Hybrot Ornithopters to Assist Wildlife Aerodynamic Research

Dead birds preserved with taxidermy and powered with micro-size UAV electronics and servos are being converted into flying ornithopters at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. A hybrot (short for ‘hybrid robot’) is a cybernetic robot that contains both computerized and biological elements. The hybrots will be used in the study of bird wildlife and for researching flock aerodynamics. In the photo showing an RC transmitter, Mechanical engineering professor Mostafa Hassanalian...