The biological drone developed by a Chinese research team sets a record for the longest flight time on a single charge, exceeding 3 hours.
The bird-like drone sets a flight record of over 3 hours. (Video: China Daily)
The Homing Pigeon, a biological drone developed by a research team at Northwestern Polytechnical University, has set a Guinness World Record for the longest flight time of a flapping drone on a single charge, as reported by China Daily on October 11. After flapping its wings and taking off, it flew for 3 hours, 5 minutes, and 30 seconds.
Biological devices are inspired by living organisms, mimicking systems found in nature, and applying them to modern engineering. The Owl, another biological drone also developed by Northwestern Polytechnical University, held the previous Guinness World Record with a flight time of 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 38 seconds, set on November 15, 2022. Compared to the Owl, the Homing Pigeon is smaller, with a wingspan less than half that of the Owl and weighing only a quarter as much, marking a significant advancement in biological drone technology.
The appearance of the Homing Pigeon deceives even real birds.
According to researcher Liu Liu, a member of the development team, the realistic appearance of the Homing Pigeon often fools real birds, which frequently fly alongside the drone during test flights.
“During one flight, a predatory bird suddenly appeared in the sky. It tried to catch the drone several times. However, thanks to quick actions on the ground, we were able to avoid being caught,” Liu said. When they retrieved the drone, they found scratch marks on its head from the claws of the predatory bird.
The flapping drone mimics the flight movements of birds and other creatures. It is lightweight, compact, and operates quietly, making it difficult to detect. It can be launched by hand and lands without restrictions on landing areas, making it suitable for various applications such as reconnaissance in complex environments, information gathering in emergency rescue situations, and biological field research.
