You might think airports have bigger things to worry about than birds, and you’d probably be right, but that doesn’t mean they can afford not to think about our feathered friends at all.
A bird’s collision with a plane could potentially down it, but more likely is it would cost quite a bit of money in damages.
That’s why Canada’s Edmonton International Airport has enlisted the help of a fleet of robotic birds of prey – designed by Clear Flight Solutions.
Called Robirds, obviously, the drones mimic the flight of falcons well enough to trick smaller birds into thinking a predator is in the area.
Airports currently use sound cannons, pyrotechnics and other low-tech solutions to deal with the dangers birds pose to planes, but the birds quickly adapt and learn to see through the tactics.
“We currently operate our Robirds in a variety of places, but taking the step towards full integration within daily operations at an airport is huge,” said Nico Nijenhuis, chief executive of Clear Flight Solutions.
“For years there has been a lot of interest from airports. To now officially start integrating our operations at a major Canadian airport is absolutely fantastic.”
