Roving robotic scarecrows battle airport birds
Robots versus birds. Epic showdowns coming soon to an airport near you.
A South Korean atomic energy lab has developed the world's first semi-autonomous robot to prevent bird strikes on airplanes
Robots versus birds. Epic showdowns coming soon to an airport near you. It sounds like something out of a Marvel Comic: an atomic research institute and a weapons manufacturer team up to create a new robot.
But instead of fighting crime, this new semi-autonomous robot will be fighting birds.
"They were originally commissioned by the military to prevent bird strikes at military airports," said Yi Jongmin, head of public relations at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI).
The robotics lab at KAERI spearheaded the development -- officially dubbed "Airport Birdstrike Prevention System" -- in conjunction with weapons manufacturer LIG Nex1 (whose company website, by the way, is one of the most intense we've ever seen).
Bird strikes remain one of the top problems for airlines and airports around the world.
According to International Civil Aviation Organization numbers, 400 people have died as a result of bird strikes since 2003, while 420 aircraft have been damaged. Some 40 percent of bird strike-related accidents occur at night.
"The new robot features the semi-autonomous, information-gathering technology usually used in robots sent into radioactive regions," said researcher Sohn Jae-min, who is part of KAERI's information and network communications team.
Scarecrow devices at airports up until this point were all stationary, but the new robot drives around scaring the birds before they have a chance to get used to it.
The robot also shoots lasers and collects information about bird movements, concentrations and behavior, and sends the information back to its control base.
"It can also broadcast the screams of dying birds," said Yi.
Since the screams of dying birds can sometimes attract other birds, however, the controller will choose which sounds to emit, based on the birds that are nearby.
The bird strike battling system will begin pilot operations at a Korean military airport in June.
"We hope they will be used at civilian airports around the world in the near future," said Yi.
But instead of fighting crime, this new semi-autonomous robot will be fighting birds.
"They were originally commissioned by the military to prevent bird strikes at military airports," said Yi Jongmin, head of public relations at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI).
The robotics lab at KAERI spearheaded the development -- officially dubbed "Airport Birdstrike Prevention System" -- in conjunction with weapons manufacturer LIG Nex1 (whose company website, by the way, is one of the most intense we've ever seen).
The controller directs up to four semi-autonomous robots from a base in the airport.
According to International Civil Aviation Organization numbers, 400 people have died as a result of bird strikes since 2003, while 420 aircraft have been damaged. Some 40 percent of bird strike-related accidents occur at night.
"The new robot features the semi-autonomous, information-gathering technology usually used in robots sent into radioactive regions," said researcher Sohn Jae-min, who is part of KAERI's information and network communications team.
Scarecrow devices at airports up until this point were all stationary, but the new robot drives around scaring the birds before they have a chance to get used to it.
Scare tactics
The robot, which looks like a Lego version of a Transformer, is mounted with speakers that can broadcast an array of bird-scattering sounds, including the screams of hawks, at up to 100 decibels. The sounds can travel up to 300 kilometers.The robot also shoots lasers and collects information about bird movements, concentrations and behavior, and sends the information back to its control base.
"It can also broadcast the screams of dying birds," said Yi.
Since the screams of dying birds can sometimes attract other birds, however, the controller will choose which sounds to emit, based on the birds that are nearby.
The bird strike battling system will begin pilot operations at a Korean military airport in June.
"We hope they will be used at civilian airports around the world in the near future," said Yi.
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