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Photo montage of an albatross and radio-controlled glider.

Photo montage of an albatross and radio-controlled glider.
Photo montage of an albatross and radio-controlled glider.
Photo montage of an albatross and radio-controlled glider.
Photo montage of an albatross and radio-controlled glider.
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396904
Richardson, Phil
Photo montage of an albatross and radio-controlled glider.
Still Image
10/29/2013
Albatross_and_UAV-r1.jpg
Caption from Oceanus magazine, vol. 50, no. 2, page 22:
This photo montage illustrates the dream of an unmanned aerial vehicle that can exploit the same wind phenomena that albatross use to soar.
Image Of the Day caption:
After years of observing albatrosses on the high seas, WHOI oceanographer Phil Richardson combined his interests in waves, sailing, flying, and physics to figure how the large seabirds extract energy from the wind to keep aloft without flapping their wings––a process called "dynamic soaring." In his research, he found that radio-controlled glider pilots exploit a similar technique. That led him to propose building an unmanned aerial vehicle that could use dynamic soaring to autonomously survey large areas of the ocean to locate sailors, monitor currents, or protect harbors. This photo montage illustrates the dream of a robotic albatross.
Photo montage by Phil Richardson
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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