By TeeJay Small
| Published 16 seconds ago
In a groundbreaking move, scientists have introduced robot dinosaurs into the wild for experimental purposes. This action aims to showcase dinosaur hunting techniques and validate long-standing theories about fossil patterns. Videos of the colossal robot dinosaur have been posted on YouTube, including one displaying the immense creature startling a oblivious grasshopper with the flapping of its powerful wings.
Fortunately, the robot dinosaurs concerned are cumbersome and large, easing the fear of residents living near the so-called hunting grounds that their lives will resemble a fusion of Jurassic Park and Westworld anytime soon.
Engineers from Seoul National University in South Korea have designed robot dinosaurs with specs closely resembling the real creatures to replicate their behavior in the wild. This project aims to resolve the long-standing mystery surrounding the use of feathered wings by the Pennaraptora group, which includes raptor-like prehistoric birds with clawed wings. Researchers have been perplexed by the purpose of these feathered wings, which are still present in modern birds.
The creation of robot dinosaurs allowed researchers to confirm that the wings were primarily used for gliding short distances after leaping from trees or high areas, without enabling complete flight.
Photo credit: Jinseok Park, Piotr Jablonski et al
This supports the long-held theory that fossils with feathered wings lacked the strength to lift certain Pennaraptora genera off the ground. The robot dinosaurs also shed light on the hunting patterns of Pennaraptora species, which are now believed to have hunted similarly to modern roadrunners.
Flush-Pursuit Foraging
Roadrunners, and potentially Pennaraptora, employ a hunting method called flush-pursuit foraging, using wing flapping to startle prey from hiding places high and low.
The significance of the video of the robot dinosaurs startling grasshoppers lies in its demonstration of this hunting strategy. However, the large robotic structure on wheels does not entirely confirm this fact, as any large creature moving in this manner would likely prompt a grasshopper to flee.
Nonetheless, the study conducted by the Seoul National University team revealed that 93 percent of grasshoppers reacted to the wing flapping, while only 47 percent fled when the wings remained still.
Further evidence showed that grasshoppers were more likely to flee when the robot dinosaurs had white patches on their wings or flapping feathers on their tails.
As scientists continue to explore prehistoric records for data on dinosaur bone structures, engineers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in modern technology, paving the way for further advancements. Perhaps in a year, we may have a robot dinosaur sanctuary, complete with an annual evacuation when the robe-rex emerges from its quarters and into a waiting crowd.
Source: Nature
