The researchers, from Delft University in the Netherlands have devised the autonomous drone that uses its propellers 0.25 per cent of the time, compared to the 38 per cent required for a regular flight.
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00:00 [Music]
00:12 We tried to mimic the birds' flight behavior.
00:16 For example, kestrels do so-called wind hovering when they are hunting.
00:24 So they stay in the air without flapping their wings.
00:28 Then they don't use that much energy because they don't flap their wings, which consumes a lot of energy.
00:36 That's only possible with this orographic uplift, which is generated when the wind hits an obstacle and goes over.
00:46 Then there's an updraft generated.
00:49 Then by exploiting that updraft, the birds can stay aloft without flapping their wings.
00:59 [Music]
01:08 We do fundamental research, so we don't know what the application will be.
01:13 But the fact that we understand it better and more is always good because it can always help us for later projects and for commercial applications also in the future.
01:23 [Music]
01:27 (gentle music)