Page 18 - Eclipse - Autumn 2021

RESEARCH NEWS

It’s a bird, it’s a plane!

As part of this year’s Royal Society’s Summer Science, researchers from the RVC
and the University of Bristol were selected to share their ground-breaking research on

aerodynamics in birds and how this could inform the development of future aircraft design.

unning online from Thursday 8 in gusty conditions, revealing how their team’s brand-new augmented reality
July to Sunday 11 July 2021, wings and muscles act as a ‘suspension experience, OwlAR, which allows users
the Royal Society welcomed system’, smoothing the path of the body. to recreate the wind gust experiment in
Rits visitors to meet the The team also flew the birds through any location. The research behind this
researchers behind some of the leading a cloud of helium-filled soap bubbles fun and interactive content is significant
science in the UK. Across the four to capture the ‘aerodynamic footprints’ because it begins to solve two of the
days, visitors had access to the latest of their wakes and discovered their major problems facing aerial vehicles –
science and were able to take part in tails both produce lift and reduce smoothness of flight and fuel economy.
online workshops, lectures, interactive drag. These studies will help inform Professor Richard Bomphrey,
activities and games, free-of-charge.
the design of safer and more energy Interim Vice Principal for Research
During the event, a team from the RVC efficient drones and unmanned aircraft. and Professor of Comparative
and University of Bristol showcased the To bring this suspension mechanism Biomechanics at the RVC, said:
significant discoveries they have made to life and give visitors a flavour of the “We try to understand the natural world
over the past five years, examining how fascinating science undertaken by from an engineering perspective, then
birds fly and what we can learn from the researchers, the team created an flip it around to use our biological
their clever aerodynamic tricks. This interactive game, “It’s a Breeze”. The knowledge to improve engineering
research includes various experiments, game challenged users to navigate Lily design. It has been a privilege to
including creating a bespoke gust the barn owl through certain scenarios exhibit our work on the engineering
generator and wind tunnel to assess and learn how birds deal with strong applications of bird flight at the Royal
movement and flight of owls and eagles Society Summer Science event.
gusts. Visitors also took part in the

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