Ancient Airways: Flying Drone Design Based On Prehistoric Flying Reptile

Pterodactyls lived 228 to 65 million years ago

These animals take the best parts of bats and birds

Tapejara wellnhoferi, a pterodactyl from Brazil, featured a large, thin rudder-like sail on its head that functioned as a sensory organ

Putting the tail at the nose of an airplane would seem like a failed design

the rudder acted similarly to a flight computer in a modern-day aircraft and also helped with the animal’s turning agility

By raising their wings like sails on a boat, they could use the slightest breeze in the same way a catamaran

Bio-inspiration has led surprisingly to a wide variety of robotic design, especially small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for urban environment that have taken cues from birds, bats and insects

got serious this year once we had a common concept