Researchers Study with the Aid of Dead Birds

Scientists in the southwestern state of New Mexico are giving dead birds new life through unusual research.

A team at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro is using dead birds that are prepared using taxidermy. Taxidermy is the art of preparing dead animals to look like they are still alive.

The team is turning the birds into drones in order to study flight. A drone is a small aircraft¹ without a pilot.

Mostafa Hassanalian is an engineering² professor who is leading the project. He has found that the machine birds have not produced the results he expected.

"We came up with this idea that we can use... dead birds and make them (into) a drone," he said. "Everything is there...we do reverse³ engineering."

The bird drones are still being tested at the university. The goal is to better understand how birds fly together in groups and how groups form. Hassanalian said the aviation⁴ industry could gain from the research.

"If we learn how these birds manage...energy between themselves, we can apply (that) into the future aviation industry to save more energy and save more fuel," he said.

Brenden Herkenhoff is a doctoral student at New Mexico Tech. He is researching flight efficiency⁵, including how to limit the waste of energy.

Herkenhoff is studying how color affects flight efficiency.

"We've done experiments and determined⁶ that for our fixed- wing aircraft, applying certain color can change the flight efficiency. And the same is true for birds, we believe," he said.

Hassanalian said the taxidermy bird drone flies for up to only 20 minutes. He said the next step is to make it fly longer and to carry out tests in the wild with living birds.

Words in This Story

reverse – adj. opposite to what is usual or stated

apply – v. to use (an idea, method, or law) in a particular situation

manage – v. to use (something) carefully and without waste

determine – v. to officially decide (something) especially because of evidence⁷ or facts

certain – adj. used to refer to something or someone that is not named specifically

1 aircraft   

n.飞机 (单复数同)

参考例句：

• Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。
• They have placed an order with us for three new aircraft.他们向我们订购了三架新飞机。

2 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

3 reverse   

v.推翻，颠倒，反向；n.反面，逆境；adj.反向的

参考例句：

• His answer was just the reverse of what I expected.他的回答正好与我期望的相反。
• Please reverse the positions of two pictures.请把两张图片的位置倒转过来。

4 aviation   

n.航空，航空学，飞机制造业

参考例句：

• Ten years ago,they began to develop the aviation. 十年前，他们开始发展航空工业。
• Pilots of large aircraft are masters of aviation.大型飞行器的驾驶员是航空学方面的专家。

5 efficiency   

n.效率，效能，功效

参考例句：

• We were most impressed with your efficiency.你的效率给我们留下很深刻的印象。
• Our goal is to achieve the maximum of efficiency.我们的目标是取得最高的效率。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 evidence   

n.明显，显著，明白，迹象，根据，[物]证据，证物

参考例句：

• The first signs of spring are in evidence.春天的最初迹象已显然可见。
• From the evidence I must conclude that you are wrong.从证据看，我敢断定你错了。