A flying robot inspired by a male peregrine falcon can scare away flocks of birds in fields within 5 minutes of flying over and keep them away for up to four hours, on average. Birds can eat crops on farmland or damage aircraft at airports if they collide with them by accident. As a result, several methods have been developed to deter them from congregating at these sites. These include traditional scarecrows, recordings of bird distress calls or lethal approaches involving guns or trained birds of prey.

Engineers have created a falcon-inspired robot that can take-off, land and grasp branches just like a real bird – and even catch objects in the air. Developed by a team at Stanford University, SNAG (stereotyped nature-inspired aerial grasper) replicates the impressive grasp of peregrine falcons. In place of bones, SNAG has a 3D-printed skeletal structure – which took 20 iterations to perfect – as well as motors and fishing line in place of muscles and tendons. Thanks to a quadcopter drone attached, SNAG can fly around in its quest to catch and carry objects and perch on various surfaces. Coupled with cameras and sensors, SNAG could be used for monitoring the climate, wildlife and natural ecosystems – as part of efforts to prevent forest fires for example – as well as for search and rescue efforts.

Quadcopters these days are so precious. They take off and hover, taking pictures or whatever, and then land, recharge--and blah. If these drones were birds, they'd be prey. But the Stereotyped Nature-Inspired Aerial Grasper, or SNAG, would be their apex predator. This new quadcopter has legs, each loaded with four 3D-printed talons that lock around whatever makes contact with them, be it a branch to rest on or perhaps, someday, other drones flying where they're not supposed to.

Peregrine falcons attack their prey on the wing as if they were air-to-air guided missiles, a study has found. Lessons from the birds' control strategy could aid the development of robot interceptors designed to bring down rogue drones, scientists believe. For the study, researchers obtained a birds-eye-view of falcons in flight using miniature video cameras attached to the birds' backs. Peregrine falcons attack their prey on the wing as if they were air-to-air guided missiles, a study has found. For the study, researchers obtained a birds-eye-view of falcons in flight using miniature video cameras attached to the birds' backs (pictured) The scientists were surprised to find that the peregrine falcon's'terminal attack' trajectory followed a mathematical guidance law used to steer homing missiles to their targets.