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US Navy developing autonomous drone to prevent bird eggs from hatching near airfields

Quadcopter drones fly over the Statue of Liberty during the practice event before the National Drone Racing Championship at Governors Island in New York on August 5, 2016. (AFP via Getty Images)
Quadcopter drones fly over the Statue of Liberty during the practice event before the National Drone Racing Championship at Governors Island in New York on August 5, 2016. (AFP via Getty Images)

The US Navy is developing an autonomous drone that is designed to prevent bird eggs from hatching near airfields.

The Pentagon spends around $50m a year managing bird life around airfields as aircraft being struck by birds pose a security risk.

The process used is called oiling, and involves covering eggs with food-grade oil which blocks the pores in the eggshells and prevents the embryos inside from receiving oxygen.

If done right, this process is considered by the Human Society of the United States to be a humane way of stopping eggs from growing into birds. The method doesn’t push bird parents to lay more eggs or start a new nest.

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Oiling can limit the number of ground-nesting birds and simultaneously protect endangered species.

Drones have already been used to find bird nests, which then can be managed by humans, but many nests are in places that are hard to get reach, such as cliffs, towers or other kinds of infrastructure.

A company in Lexington, Kentucky called Hitron Technologies is developing the drones for the Navy along with the University of South Carolina.

The Intelligent Remote Egg-Oiling System or IREOS is a commercial quadcopter, which is an unmanned helicopter with four rotors.

Based on deep learning, the drones are equipped with a nest detection mechanism and a device that will perform the oiling of the eggs. Deep learning is a kind of machine learning inspired by the human brain.

The IREOS moves on its own and can avoid obstacles in its way such as power lines and antennas as it scours the surrounding area for nests and eggs. When the drone finds a nest, a human decides whether to proceed with the oiling. The IREOS should be able to take care of multiple nests in 20-30 minutes using only one charge of its battery, according to the New Scientist.

An early model of the IREOS is currently being flight-tested. While the tests are as of now being conducted in a controlled setting, subsequent testing in the field may require specific permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Graham White at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK is sceptical that the drone would be able to oil an entire egg, including its underside. He’s also concerned about the impact it may have on bird life.

“Egg oiling can cause welfare issues for the adult birds and, in addition, the oiling needs to be done carefully,” he told the New Scientist.

He added that some birds may also fight the drones to protect their nests. “Adult gulls would very likely attack the drone, risking themselves and the drone,” he said.

Tests will be finished in June 2022, at which point it may start being used by the Navy. A commercial version may also become available for use at airports and other places that needs to manage local birdlife to carry out their operations.

The Independent has reached out to the Navy for comment.

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