The so-called Robird from Clear Flight Solutions, a University of Twente spinoff, has recently been deployed at Edmonton International Airport in Canada. The robotic bird should prevent collisions between aircraft and real birds.
Clear Flight Solutions' CEO Nico Nijenhuis calls the deployment of the bird at this international airport a historic step for the company and the Robird on its website. "We already fly our Robirds and drones in many places, but the step to daily integration at an airport is huge."
'Natural' enemy
Every year, birds cause a lot of damage at airports. This involves not only material damage but, in the worst cases, also fatal accidents. They also cause billions in damage worldwide in the agricultural sector, at waste processing plants, ports and in the oil and gas industry. The known problem is that birds are smart and get used to existing bird control solutions; they just fly around them. The high-tech Robird lifelike mimics the flight of a falcon. The Robird's flight behaviour is so realistic that birds believe their natural enemy is present in the area. This approach plays on the birds' fears, making habituation no longer a problem.
Nijenhuis came across a prototype of the Robird during his graduation project at the University of Twente. He immediately had many ideas about it, both in terms of technological development and possible commercial applications, and from there he set up Clear Flight Solutions. The company developed two types of robotic birds: a falcon for chasing birds up to 3kg and an eagle for chasing any bird species.
Drones
The Robird will be part of a large drone project at Edmonton Airport, in which drones will also be used for wildlife observation, building inspection and 3D measurements. For the first three months, the Robird will be closely monitored in order to further optimise its deployment. There is also intensive contact with pilots and airlines, who need to become familiar with the procedures.
The Dutch company received special permission to deploy the Robird from Transport Canada, the Canadian government ministry responsible for legislation, policy and services for transport at airports, among others.
The manufacturing process
The Robird can be roughly divided into three parts; the fuselage, the wings and the tail. "The wings are handmade from a kind of foam, i.e. a plastic," says Wessel Straatman, R&D engineer. "The tail is made from a carbon sandwich material. The production of the fuselage is the most interesting, as we have it 3D-printed from a glass-filled polyamide." According to Straatman, the biggest challenge during the manufacturing process was and still is finding the right balance between weight and (flight) performance. "For example, finding the right materials to make the Robird with has been subject to many iterations, to arrive at the perfect balance between strong but also lightweight material for the fuselage. For anything that 'takes to the air', weight is and remains a gigantic challenge, because everything you add has to go up with it."
Automation
The bird is currently piloted by a pilot trained in flying a flying robot but also in bird behaviour and falcon hunting behaviour. Straatman: "Of course, there are a lot of smart electronics in the Robird that assist the pilot in this. The autopilot ensures a stable flight and extra safety. For example, it can be set to keep the Robird away from certain areas, such as from the runway, and also to automatically return to its starting point should communication with the pilot break down."
In the near future, Clear Flight Solutions' further development of the Robird will include a focus on automation. "Eventually, the goal is for the bird to be able to start aging birds entirely on its own. That's a huge challenge, but a lot of fun!"
> Click here for more information on the Robird
By: Kelly Bakker
Photos: Clear Flight Solutions
