Do you remember Robocop, the dead human brought to life with the help of cybernetics in order to administer justice without getting emotion into the way? Well, if Robocop were real, he would definitely be pleased to have a sidekick that scientists at Duke University in North Carolina have managed to piece together, which is a dead bird that was basically brought “back to life”, so to speak, by being animated using off-the-shelf robotics, in an effort to assist US biologists in studying behavior in the swamp sparrow species.
Scientists alongside engineering students and a taxidermist helped pool their knowledge and resources together in order to operate the wings of a deceased swamp sparrow, with simple Picaxe computer chips being programmed to work alongside a small linear motor that has been fit within the carcass’ cavity, calling this Frankenstein of a bird the “Robosparrow”. The budget for this project will not incense taxpayers too much though, as it cost a mere $1,500, although one would think that reanimating parts of a cadaver will cost considerably more.
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