CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 1 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers studying bird navigation say their findings could lead to new developments in robotics and autopilots for aircraft.
Scientists from Harvard University trained pigeons to fly through an artificial forest with tiny cameras attached to their heads. They say the methods the pigeons used to navigate through difficult environments could be used as a model for autopilot technology.
The birds' panoramic vision field of almost 300 degrees allows them simultaneously to assess obstacles on either side, while small rapid head movements allows them to stabilize their vision and switch rapidly between views.
The researchers also found the birds have other skills that would be important for autopiloted machines. For example, they tend to choose the straightest routes.
"This is a very efficient way of getting through the forest, because the birds have to do less turns and therefore use less energy but also because they reach the other side quicker," researcher Huai-Ti Lin said. "Another interesting finding is that pigeons seems to exit the forest heading in exactly the same direction as when they entered, in spite of all the twist and turns they made in the forest."
For a robot or an unmanned aircraft it would be invaluable simply to provide it with the coordinates of the origin and destination locations without having to give it detailed information of all the obstacles it might meet on the way.
"If we could develop the technology to follow the same methods as birds we could let the robot get on with it without giving it any more input," Lin said.
