Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

Legs and feet are important

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No – it’s RAVEN – the Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for multiple ENvironments.

What will they think of next? The Scientific Journal Nature published an article about this amazing contraption, a fixed wing drone with legs. Like a bird it can walk, hop, and launch itself into the air with a jump. Legs and feet are important.

Unlike the normal multicopter drones we’re all familiar with, this one has some mobility on the ground and, like all fixed wing vehicles, is more energy-efficient in the air. It can’t hover, at least not yet. Hummingbirds and kestrels can hover though, so who knows what some future development of RAVEN might manage?

Visit Nature to sign up for alerts, and watch the video in their article or below.

Useful? Interesting?

If you enjoyed this or found it useful, please like, comment, and share below. My material is free to reuse (see conditions), but a coffee is always welcome!