SCIENTISTS have unveiled a taxidermy drone, which uses the dead body of a bird to spy from the skies.
The prototype drone appears to be a futuristic but unhinged twist on the old school homing pigeons, which were used as military messengers in war.
The drones, remote controlled mini-aircrafts, can be used to monitor wildlife or humans, according to engineers working on the project.
In the age of surveillance, the art of hiding a drone, also known as 'ghosting,' is increasingly difficult.
Most people these days know a drone when they see one.
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“Instead of using artificial materials for building drones, we can use the dead birds and re-engineer them as a drone," said Dr Mostafa Hassanalian, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at New Mexico Tech.
“Sometimes looking at nature provides us the best answer for the development and optimisation of different types of engineering systems."
The engineers are using a technique called biomimicry, where design and production are modelled on things that already exist in the natural world.
The dead bird drones are still a prototype, and may not even be used in a strictly militaristic setting.
They can also be used to track deforestation and poachers.
While drones may offer some potential wildlife benefits, there is currently little information on how the presence of drones affects animals.
Several studies over the years have suggested that drones spook animals, prompting them to have increased heart rates.
But engineers are now researching how the repurposing of dead migratory birds as drones could benefit wildlife surveillance.
As well as how drone invisibility could give military's the upper hand in conflict.
“Nature always has an effective solution for many complex tasks in different engineering systems. Such as energy, locomotion, navigation control, sensing and design," added Hassanalian.
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“The ground science of biomimicry focuses on what engineers can learn about efficient solutions for engineering designs that nature has spent millions of years refining."
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