A group of 12 year olds have come up with a cost effective way to help prevent bird strikes

Robert · Aug 25, 2017

This amazes me that adults had not came up with this long ago. I have seen wind powered advertisements at sales at various stores. Something powered by air waves around. But leave it to 12 year olds to apply it to safe air travel.

https://www.ksl.com/?sid=45460393&n...row-reduces-bird-strikes-at-salt-lake-airport

SALT LAKE CITY — A group of four Utah tweens has been nationally recognized for inventing a device to scare away birds from planes.

After learning about "The Miracle on the Hudson," where a plane leaving New York in 2009 struck a flock of geese, forcing the aircraft to land in the Hudson River, a group of 12-year-olds from Sandy wanted to do something more to prevent incidents like that from happening.

Bird strikes have been happening for years at airports, with more than 200 in 2015 at the Salt Lake International Airport.

Sunrise Elementary students Abigail Slama-Catron, Allison Drennan, Eric Snaufer and Timothy Holt, started working with the Salt Lake International Airport to research robotic bait, greasing bridges, power washing nests and more.

“We also looked at a sound system, but within a week the birds got used to it, so that didn’t fly. Sorry, bad pun,” Eric said.

But soon, the group found a solution.

“We found a Cornell University study that shows that random motion scares birds away,” Abigail added.

Blueprints, prototypes, drilling, sewing and experimenting led the group to the final product, which they call the Bionic Scarecrow. It’s basically a small battery-powered wind sock air dancer, and it works.

“When we tested it at the airport, they said that was the first time the birds had stayed away,” Allison said.

The battery makes the air flow push into the orange wind sock so that it flaps in the air.

“If you look inside, it’s just battery, fuse, switch, etc.,” Timothy said.
Click to expand...

In the link you can watch it working.

Log in or Sign up

A group of 12 year olds have come up with a cost effective way to help prevent bird strikes

Robert Well-Known Member Past Donor

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

A group of 12 year olds have come up with a cost effective way to help prevent bird strikes

Robert Well-Known Member Past Donor

Share This Page

Useful Searches