A number of modern drones have started to take their designs from nature itself. Animals, insects, and even plants contain the secrets to effective and powerful designs drones can use. Combining these animalistic designs to our modern tech, we can see amazing results. In fact, several drones have already started using bird wings, bird bodies, and even insect body structures to improve functionality. These drone designs offer farther reach, better power consumption, and even added durability upon crashing. Indeed, maybe looking into the primal designs of nature is the key to our tech’s future.
Bird Legs of the Passerine Drone
Another drone takes inspiration to nature’s design. The Passerine drone has bird legs instead of landing pads. These bird legs provide the drone with a resting pod when inactive, as well as helping it launch during takeoff. The bird legs create a unique opportunity for the drone – it makes it able to fly without any launch pad or runway. The Passerine drone’s initial takeoff is very similar to a bird’s. Birds can simply jump up, spread its wings, and fly without any problems. This is unlike modern planes, where they need a long start before getting to the right elevation and momentum. This is why typically long runways are needed. With the bird legs, the drone instantly launches to a direction, giving it a significant boost in momentum and elevation.
What Does the Future Hold?
As for the plans for the Passerine drone, they hope it can be of use to areas where runways are hard to create. These can involve rural areas, mountainous regions, or even islandic geographies. Having a drone powerful enough to deliver packages while not requiring a ton of space can be very helpful. Deliveries of medical supplies, food, or even simple equipment will be more of a breeze.
Of course, like with other experimental drones, you may not see the Passerine in the near future. Tests may still be necessary to sort out any problems. The bird legs however are iconic and may be a staple in future drones to come.
