Zombie ducks sound like an excerpt from a horror movie—the living dead in mallard form buzzing through the air. But recently, this has become a reality thanks to researchers at the New Mexico Tech Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. Led by Mostafa Hassanalian, a researcher and mechanical engineer, the goal was to create lifelike drones to observe and study waterfowl and other birds in the wild.
Over the course of two years, the team has developed numerous ways to utilize taxidermy parts of ducks and other bird species and implement them with drone technologies. The result is something out of a science fiction movie. For waterfowl alone, the team has developed two drones, a flying and a swimming drone, to represent mallard ducks.
This begs the question, why use taxidermy when a multitude of drones and observation tools are already available? Wild birds have been prone to attacking drones as a threat during research studies. Combining taxidermy parts with drone technology aims to create a natural appearance that won’t frighten birds. The end result is studies and observations mimicking more natural habits.
In the world of waterfowl hunting, where we use decoys to attract birds, it makes sense that these drones can act and look like the real thing. The drones are fixed with small cameras, enabling researchers to gain live access and observe wild birds. So next time you’re out in the marsh and you hear a bird wizzing over your head like a jet, it might just be because it is.
For more information, check out the paper by Mostafa Hassanalian and his colleagues HERE.