Roving robotic scarecrows battle airport birds

by Frances Cha, Seoul Editor

It sounds like something out of a Marvel Comic: an atomic research institute and a weapons manufacturer team up to create a new robot. 

But instead of fighting crime, this new semi-autonomous robot will be fighting birds. 

"They were originally commissioned by the military to prevent bird strikes at military airports," said Yi Jongmin, head of public relations at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI).

The robotics lab at KAERI spearheaded the development -- officially dubbed "Airport Birdstrike Prevention System" -- in conjunction with weapons manufacturer LIG Nex1 (whose company website, by the way, is one of the most intense we've ever seen). 

The controller directs up to four semi-autonomous robots from a base in the airport. Bird strikes remain one of the top problems for airlines and airports around the world. 

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Source: http://rss.cnngo.com/~r/cnngo/~3/XtI8OaApiuY/birdstrike-robot-779434

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