THE wandering albatross, long a sign of good luck and source of superstition for sailors, could become a latter-day boon to them as the inspiration for a low-energy scouting aircraft.
The albatross's ability to fly for thousands of kilometres over oceans with barely a flap of its wings has inspired the concept of a diminutive, ship-launched spotter plane that flies great distances by employing some of the bird's lift-generating techniques.
The idea is that a drone could help trawler crews spot shoals of fish, or help border patrols spot drug-runners, but with next-to-zero energy cost, says Tony Pipe, who leads the project at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) in the UK. The idea is the brainchild of Pipe's colleague, Markus Deittert, who flies gliders in his spare time.
The wandering albatross uses many tricks to gain lift and stay airborne for long periods. "They exploit the ...