Robird is a made-up name for a robotic bird drone. This type of drone is designed and built with the same appearance as a bird. There have been different versions of Robirds built recently by various robotics companies and each seems to be aiming at a specific application in the air such as disguised surveillance operation, pest control in farms, bird life studies, and other important applications.
However, the need to keep birds away from airports has been very costly due to the series of measures in place to achieve this purpose. Meanwhile, it has been observed that the use of Robirds could possibly eliminate the high cost of fighting bird encroachments at the airports. A recent study by some airports and officials concerned with this study proved that using Robirds effectively at airports could help to chase away birds from airports. Cause the birds to remain far away from the airport surrounding once they sense the Robirds as predictors.
In line with the result obtained in this study, the Robirds that will be deployed for airport uses would be made to actually appear strong and intimidating to any type of bird such that would be able to chase any specie of bird away from the airport space because the birds would be seeing the Robird as a hunter seeking for smaller birds or a giant bird that needs no other bird around him. Consider the operational features of this Robird shown in the video below.
Though there are varieties of Robirds made recently, their flying features appear to differ slightly, especially by size and controls. The ones suitable for the airports’ use will be the ones mainly designed and built for such purposes. In the future, it is believed that Robirds would be operating automatically based on time settings and daily routine schedules to fly around airport space to scare away birds and help keep the airspace safe for the aircraft.
Birds have been alleged to be responsible for some of the aircraft engines’ failures as well as aircraft crashes due to their entanglement with the aircraft engine.
Technically, it is very possible to happen since aircraft engines work with the principle of air drags towards the engine to create the thrust necessary to move the aircraft forward. Hence, any bird that finds itself around any approaching aircraft would possibly be sucked/dragged into the engine section which could inversely affect the engine functionalities and possible aircraft crashes in severe cases.
This situation has been one of the top challenges the aviation industry is trying to solve which is simply how to keep birds away from airports. Getting the Robirds to solve this vital problem will be very important to the aviation industry in general as it would help to reduce engine failures caused by birds trapping in the engine, high cost and losses associated with aircraft clashes caused be birds, and it will also cut down the cost of fighting birds encroachments at airports which is far higher than the use of Robirds.
