The headline on the Reuters story "Dead Birds Get New Life" deserves an award. The dead birds are not only taxidermied, but stuffed with drone technology and other mechanical marvels. They even flap!
Dr. Mostafa Hassanalian, a mechanical engineering professor who is leading the project, had found that artificial, mechanical birds had not given the results he was looking for. "We came up with this idea that we can use … dead birds and make them (into) a drone," he said. "Everything is there … we do reverse engineering." Taxidermy bird drones – currently being tested in a purpose-built cage at the university – can be used to understand better the formation and flight patterns of flocks. That in turn can be applied to the aviation industry, said Hassanalian.
Important reminder: Birds Aren't Real. Here's more video.
