Meet SNAG: The Bird-Like Drone With 'Falcon' Legs

January 1, 2022, Daily News | Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

drone/ droʊn/ Noun

a pilotless aircraft that is remote-controlled

Example:
The restaurant is thinking about using a drone to deliver food.

propeller/ prəˈpelər/ Noun

a piece of equipment with two or more blades that turn quickly and
make a ship or aircraft move

Example:
The ship couldn't move because its propeller was broken.

talon/ ˈtælən/ Noun

a long, sharp, claw, especially one on a bird of prey

Example:
Eagles use their long, sharp talons to catch and kill their prey.

rescue/ ˈrɛskjuː/ Noun

the act of saving or being saved from a dangerous or difficult situation

Example:
Rescue operations began shortly after the earthquake.

branch/ brænʧ/ Noun

part of a tree that grows out from the trunk

Example:
A bird is sitting on the tree branch.
Exercise 2

Article

Meet SNAG: The Bird-Like Drone With 'Falcon' Legs

Engineers from Stanford University have developed a drone based on
one of nature's best flying hunters: the peregrine falcon.
The Stereotyped Nature-Inspired Aerial Grasper (SNAG) doesn't have
wings like a bird — it flies using four propellers instead. However, the
engineers have given it the type of legs and talons you would see on a
falcon.

Drones have a lot of uses, such as collecting information and helping

with search and rescue. But according to the Stanford team, drones
aren't as useful as they could be because they can't really hold on to
complicated objects. Most drones also can't easily perch somewhere to
save energy when they aren't doing anything.

Peregrine falcons have strong legs and talons that can catch other birds
while they are still flying. Their talons also let them perch on a lot of
different things.

When SNAG gets to a tree branch — or anything else it needs to perch

on — its legs start to bend. This causes its talons to close around the
branch. The more the leg bends, the tighter the talon gets, letting the
drone safely perch on different sized branches.
SNAG weighs about 680 grams, but its strong bird -like talons help it carry
things that weigh 10 times as much. In tests, SNAG could even catch and
hold on to different things that researchers threw into the air for it,
including a tennis ball.
Exercise 3

Discussion
1. What are your thoughts on SNAG?

2. Do you own a drone? If so, what do you use it for? If not, have you
thought about getting one?

3. What industries do you think will benefit most from the use of drones in
the near future?

4. Do you know of any nature-inspired machines or devices?

5. Do you think you'd enjoy working as an engineer? Why? Why not?

Exercise 4
Further Discussion

1. Is your country home to any unique or interesting bird species?

2. Do you have any pet birds? If so, how long have you had them? If not,
would you like to?

3. Is birdwatching a popular hobby where you live? Have you ever done
it?

4. What animals do you find most fascinating? Why?

5. Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything
better. — Albert Einstein. What are your thoughts on this statement?

Source
This lesson is based on an article by Jenny Whelan.