‘PigeonBot’ is the first robot that can bend its wings like a real bird

New insights into flight could pave the way for more nimble aerial robots

PigeonBot

A new robotic bird made with real pigeon feathers is the first robot that can change the shape of its wings like a bird, by fanning its feathers out or folding them closer together.

Lentink Lab/Stanford Univ.

Pigeons may be considered rats of the sky, but some scientists have found greater value in these urban birds: the blueprint for a new generation of flying machines.