By . Anthony Bond . Last updated at 9:52 AM on 25th January 2012 . They may not have to deal with traffic wardens, parking tickets or speed cameras. But it seems that birds, like drivers, do have to stick to a speed limit. According to researchers in the U.S., birds must fly below a certain speed to avoid crashing into trees and other obstacles. If they go over the limit, it becomes more difficult to spot objects they could hit. And with the absence of any helpful road signs on their routes, they have to work out their safe maximum speed themselves – taking into account factors including their size and manoeuvrability, as well as how built-up the area they are flying through is. Way forward: Scientists have discovered that birds intuitively know how fast to fly - and hope to use this research to improve unmanned robots travelling through built-up areas . The researchers, from the Massachusetts . Institute of Technology, believe their findings could help defence . experts programme unmanned drones to fly as fast as possible without . crashing. They looked at birds such as the daredevil northern goshawk and . developed mathematical models based on the way the animals travel . through the air. Study author Professor Emilio Frazzoli said: ‘If birds flew at speeds . purely based on what they can immediately see, they wouldn’t go very . fast.’ Instead, he explained, they roughly calculate the density of the . environment they are flying through and set themselves a top speed based . on the likelihood of finding a gap between the trees or buildings. Above that top speed, he went on, they are ‘sure to crash’. But if they . stay below it, they could theoretically remain in flight forever. Professor Frazzoli, who is currently testing his theory on pigeons, . added: ‘There is no magic number for the critical speed. In fact, the . critical speed depends on some parameters describing tree density and . size, and the bird’s manoeuvrability and size. ‘In other words, if the forest is too dense, the trees are too thick, . the bird is too large or flying too fast, it will eventually collide . with a tree.’ He said that ‘mathematical calculations’ drawn from the way birds fly . could eventually be used by scientists to increase the speed unmanned . drones can safely fly at.
New research could help U.S military who currently use drones in Afghanistan .
By . Anthony Bond . Last updated at 9:52 AM on 25th January 2012 . They may not have to deal with traffic wardens, parking tickets or speed cameras. But it seems that birds, like drivers, do have to stick to a speed limit. According to researchers in the U.S., birds must fly below a certain speed to avoid crashing into trees and other obstacles. If they go over the limit, it becomes more difficult to spot objects they could hit. And with the absence of any helpful road signs on their routes, they have to work out their safe maximum speed themselves – taking into account factors including their size and manoeuvrability, as well as how built-up the area they are flying through is. Way forward: Scientists have discovered that birds intuitively know how fast to fly - and hope to use this research to improve unmanned robots travelling through built-up areas . The researchers, from the Massachusetts . Institute of Technology, believe their findings could help defence . experts programme unmanned drones to fly as fast as possible without . crashing. They looked at birds such as the daredevil northern goshawk and . developed mathematical models based on the way the animals travel . through the air. Study author Professor Emilio Frazzoli said: ‘If birds flew at speeds . purely based on what they can immediately see, they wouldn’t go very . fast.’ Instead, he explained, they roughly calculate the density of the . environment they are flying through and set themselves a top speed based . on the likelihood of finding a gap between the trees or buildings. Above that top speed, he went on, they are ‘sure to crash’. But if they . stay below it, they could theoretically remain in flight forever. Professor Frazzoli, who is currently testing his theory on pigeons, . added: ‘There is no magic number for the critical speed. In fact, the . critical speed depends on some parameters describing tree density and . size, and the bird’s manoeuvrability and size. ‘In other words, if the forest is too dense, the trees are too thick, . the bird is too large or flying too fast, it will eventually collide . with a tree.’ He said that ‘mathematical calculations’ drawn from the way birds fly . could eventually be used by scientists to increase the speed unmanned . drones can safely fly at.
researchers in the U.S., birds must fly below a believe their findings could help defence .