A
hummingbird can hover in place in a strong wind, remaining stationary
even when the wind speed constantly varies as much as 15%. In contrast,
the typical aerial drone can stay steady only when the wind speed varies
up to 7%.
Researchers at Harvard and RMIT University in Melbourne
wanted to understand why in order to improve drone design. So they
placed hummingbirds in a wind tunnel. They found that hummingbirds,
which beat their wings 40 times a second, can vary the angle and
position of their wings and tails to a wide degree and implement these
changes within a single wingbeat. You can read more about this study at
the New York Times (warning: auto-start video).
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