Chinese scientists use solar energy to power control of bird brains

Researchers say they have achieved a breakthrough in global animal robotics race with two-hour controlled pigeon flight

In the experiments, a solar panel about half the size of a smartphone screen was strapped to a pigeon’s back to power a controlling device on its head

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Researchers in China said they achieved 80-90 per cent accuracy in their experiments to get pigeons to follow simple commands, such as turning to the right or left. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:00pm, 25 Oct 2022

A research team in China said it used a solar-powered brain control device to steer a pigeon in flight for nearly two hours on a sunny day.

The scientists, led by Huai Ruituo, a professor with the college of electrical and automation engineering at Shandong University of Science and Technology in eastern China, are studying the use of robotics in animals.

According to a paper published in China’s peer-reviewed Journal of Biomedical Engineering, the researchers strapped a solar panel – about half the size of a smartphone screen – to a pigeon’s back.

A small lithium battery charged by the panel then powered a brain control device on the bird’s head, generating nerve stimulating signals while maintaining wireless communication with the home base.

With the new device, “the animal robot can be guided to charge in the sun autonomously if the remaining power is low”, Huai and her colleagues wrote in the paper. They could not immediately be reached for comment.

The researchers noted that in previous experiments, pigeons followed human commands for about 45 minutes – a similar duration to a typical commercial drone – because of the limited size of battery the birds could carry.

Chinese scientists use solar energy to power control of bird brains

Researchers say they have achieved a breakthrough in global animal robotics race with two-hour controlled pigeon flight In the experiments, a solar panel about half the size of a smartphone screen was strapped to a pigeon’s back to power a controlling device on its head

Researchers say they have achieved a breakthrough in global animal robotics race with two-hour controlled pigeon flight

In the experiments, a solar panel about half the size of a smartphone screen was strapped to a pigeon’s back to power a controlling device on its head