‘PigeonBot’ brings aircraft closer to feathered-flight

A close up shot of the PigeonBot wing, made of real feathers linked by elastic ligaments to synthetic wrists and fingers. Researchers at Stanford University announced they had studied the wings of common pigeon cadavers, then used their findings to build a radio-controlled robot with wings made with 40 real feathers. — Lentink Lab/Stanford University/AFP

WASHINGTON: Since the dawn of the aviation era, inventors have strived to build aircraft that fly as nimbly as birds, whose morphable wings allow for faster, tighter turns and more efficient gliding.

That dream was a step closer to reality on Jan 16 after researchers at Stanford University announced they had studied the wings of common pigeon cadavers, then used their findings to build a radio-controlled "PigeonBot" with wings made with 40 real feathers.