The Bionic bird drone was developed in 2014. [Courtesy: Bionic Bird]
When it comes to exploring ways of making a drone more stealthy, France's military has looked to the birds.
France's Ministry of the Armed Forces is exploring the use of drones that mimic the flapping wings of birds during flight as a way to camouflage or "confuse" its appearance and behavior, the ministry said.
The project, dubbed BIOFLY, is based on a drone made by Marseille, France-based company Bionic Bird in 2014. The drone features wings made of carbon fiber and a body made of polymers—all weighing in at about 50 grams, or about 2 ounces.
The bird drone has potential military applications because of its stealthiness, its weight, and its ability to be operated by a smartphone, the ministry said.
The defense ministry said research efforts were primarily focused on a new flapping-wing flight architecture, in addition to the integration of an on-board camera that can be stabilized during oscillations and wing movements. The project also explored improving the propulsion system, and improving flight capacity through assistance to the pilot, flight automation, and the ability to vary flight speed.
France is not the only country turning to biomimetic drones. Police in Spain say they're using drones in the form of realistic shapes of raptors or seagulls to conduct covert surveillance of suspected terrorist groups and organized criminal gants, Spanish News Today reported.
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