Will Aurora, a robot animal be successful in scaring away animals from runways?
At airports across the world, animal strikes pose a major safety and economic concern.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), only deer have caused 1,200 civil aircraft crashes between 1990 and 2019.
However, bird strikes still account for the majority, making up 97% of all wildlife collisions in the United States.
Last year, Alaska witnessed 92 incidents of animal attacks on its runways. To resolve this issue, the Alaska Department of Transportation has come up with a novel and unusual solution.
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Alaska state’s second-largest airport, Fairbanks International Airport, will install a four-legged robotic predator to scare away wildlife from its runways.
The robot, about the size of a dog, will look like a fox or a coyote to deter animals from crossing or roaming along the runway. They might use a faux fur print panel to make it similar to a predator.
A company called, Boston Dynamics, that makes commercial robots, has created the Spot Robot for this purpose.
The Spot Robot, better known as “Aurora” robot, is expected to speedily scare away all kinds of nesting and migratory birds from the airstrip, to avoid bird strikes.
Officials from the airport are excited to see if Aurora can frighten bigger animals like moose and bears as well.
In the past, authorities have used various methods to discourage animals from entering runways.
They’ve done everything from putting pigs on runways (so they could eat bird eggs) in the 1990s, to setting up speakers to make loud noises, spraying grape juice with drones, and firing paintball guns at the animals.
Aurora is their latest trial to keep animals away from the runways and is created at a cost of around $70,000.
The robot has been labeled Aurora due to its bright, metallic colors, which are similar to the Northern Lights that can be seen in the region.
A video released by the DoT shows the robot walking, climbing stairs, and even trying to dance while displaying a bright green light. The robot can be operated using a remote control and is safe to move even on snow and ice.
You can watch a video of Aurora Robot below –
