Release Date: December 16, 2009 BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The secret to
the flight of the hummingbird and other tiny birds and insects
lies in the looping, swirling flow of air, called a vortex, that
their flapping wings create. These aerodynamically
unconventional flows are the inspiration behind new research by
a University at Buffalo scientist who hopes to understand the
nature of the three-dimensional vortex formation process so that
it can be optimized. The UB research is motivated by the need to
gather real-time intelligence in particularly challenging
environments; these include remote caves and tunnels or complex
building corridors in cities, neither of which can easily be
penetrated by conventional, unmanned aircraft or spy satellites.
One solution being explored is the design of tiny, flying
surveillance devices called micro-air vehicles that are bio-
inspired, based on lessons drawn from the behavior of insects
and birds. "In surveillance applications, these small,
autonomous or remote-controlled vehicles wo