The Maximum Airspeed Above Which Birds And Drones Are Bound to Crash
In pursuit of fleet-footed prey, the northern goshawk wings through thick forest canopies and underbrush at breakneck speeds, dipping and diving to avoid colliding with trees or other obstacles. But it can only go so fast, apparently obeying an unspoken speed limit dictated not by biology, but by the density of its environment - beyond a certain threshold, it is certain to crash into something. This is an important lesson for makers of drones and other flying objects, according to researchers at MIT and Harvard. Most drones fly relatively slowly, especially at lower altitudes where they might encounter obstacles and require plenty of time to react. Biologists at Harvard and roboticists at MIT have been studying flight behaviors in goshawks and other birds, aiming to improve algorithms that would allow unmanned aerial vehicles to cruise more quickly through forests, urban areas or other cluttered landscapes. Related ArticlesAir Force Wants Drones That Can...