This bird-inspired drone is more energy efficient and proficient at complex flight maneuvers [Video]

Artificial Flight: Modern drones have become pretty advanced, but they are very energy-inefficient. European researchers decided to take inspiration from birds to develop a new type of drone that could consume less power and mimic its real-life counterpart’s complex movements.

Researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland developed a Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for Multiple Environments (RAVEN) by adding hind limbs to a fixed-wing design. The final result is a drone that takes off quicker than a traditional model and performs complex maneuvers that mimic real birds.

The researchers note that birds inspired the invention of airplanes, but even modern planes are far from perfect flying machines. A bird can quickly go from walking to flying into the air and back again instantly. It does not need a runway or a launcher. Engineers have yet to …