Robo-Raven is a unique robotic bird, capable of moving each of its wings independently in order to perform aerial maneuvers similar robots cannot.
Satyandra Gupta and his team at the University of Maryland created robo-raven, which features an actuator in each wing for programming in-flight velocities, positions, twists, and turns.
In order to keep Robo-Raven lightweight, many of the parts were 3D-printed to improve aerodynamics.
While it doesn’t have feathers or anything like that, Robo-Raven looks real enough to fool a real-life hawk, which can be seen in the video below.
Gupta and his team believe the wing system they have developed could have potential UAV applications, replacing the need for propellers.
Also, Robo-Raven’s wings are getting a boost from flexible solar cells capable of pumping out additional power in the near future.
Gupta says, “Our goal is to create a robotic bird that can do things that have never been done before.”
