Creepy-Ass Robot Bird Actually Flies Like One

Festo, a company best known for designing creepy-ass robots, is back at it ("it" obviously being more harbingers of death), this time with an autonomous bird that looks waaaaaaaay too realistic when it's flying. Slap a coat of paint on that thing and I wouldn't think twice as it circled my bedroom window snapping shots of my johnson. I'd probably even pose!

This bird can start, fly, and land without intervention from a person. The cool thing about it is the special wings it has that provide both lift and thrust for it to fly.

The wings use a special hinge that allows them to move up and down while moving forward and backwards as well. The bird is modeled on a herring gull, but it is much larger than the real thing.

There's a worthwhile video of the way too lifelike-ness in action after the jump. Half the time I was convinced it was computer graphics! Fine, 3/4 of the time. But seriously, somebody pump that thing full of birdshot. *BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!* You hear that? That's the Duck Hunt dog laughing at you. *BLAM!* You're sick.

Hit the jump for the video.

Festo SmartBird Flaps its Wings into the Sky [technabob]

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