Tagged: hovering

AeroVironment, Inc.’s Nano Hummingbird

October 11, 2011 at 4:05 pm

The flight of a hummingbird has been fascinating to study since it is able to fly backwards and hover. The amount of energy it must use to flap its wings 12-90 times per second seems impossible for a creature its size. It  also manages to control its flight so precisely that it can  point its […]

By Kevin Ma | Posted in student post | Also tagged , , | Comments (3)

Are hummingbirds just insects with feathers?

October 10, 2011 at 6:53 pm

While hummingbirds are, of course, birds, which make up the Trochilidae family, their aerodynamic characteristics have been more closely attributed to insects.  Not only can the hummingbird hover indefinitely, in midair, it also makes up the only group of birds that possess the ability to fly backwards.  The humming bird, therefore, takes flapping flight to […]

By Colby Mann | Posted in student post | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

Robots in Disguise

September 25, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Cornell University has recently been working on perfecting the replication of insect flying techniques in robots.  While not a new idea, their approach uses new technology to make the process of creating the robot less time-consuming and faulty.  The wings of the rob-insect were created using a 3-D printer in order to achieve the optimal wing shape […]

By Matthew Farmer | Posted in student post | Also tagged , | Comments (1)