Current:Home > reviewsRobot disguised as a coyote or fox will scare wildlife away from runways at Alaska airport -Wealthify
Robot disguised as a coyote or fox will scare wildlife away from runways at Alaska airport
View
Date:2025-04-16 03:57:51
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A headless robot about the size of a labrador retriever will be camouflaged as a coyote or fox to ward off migratory birds and other wildlife at Alaska’s second largest airport, a state agency said.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has named the new robot Aurora and said it will be based at the Fairbanks airport to “enhance and augment safety and operations,” the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The transportation department released a video of the robot climbing rocks, going up stairs and doing something akin to dancing while flashing green lights.
Those dancing skills will be put to use this fall during the migratory bird season when Aurora imitates predator-like movements to keep birds and other wildlife from settling near plane infields.
The plan is to have Aurora patrol an outdoor area near the runway every hour in an attempt to prevent harmful encounters between planes and wildlife, said Ryan Marlow, a program manager with the transportation department.
The robot can be disguised as a coyote or a fox by changing out replaceable panels, he said.
“The sole purpose of this is to act as a predator and allow for us to invoke that response in wildlife without having to use other means,” Marlow told legislators last week.
The panels would not be hyper-realistic, and Marlow said the agency decided against using animal fur to make sure Aurora remained waterproof.
The idea of using a robot came after officials rejected a plan to use flying drones spraying a repellent including grape juice.
Previous other deterrent efforts have included officials releasing pigs at a lake near the Anchorage airport in the 1990s, with the hope they would eat waterfowl eggs near plane landing areas.
The test period in Fairbanks will also see how effective of a deterrent Aurora would be with larger animals and to see how moose and bears would respond to the robot, Marlow told the Anchorage newspaper.
Fairbanks “is leading the country with wildlife mitigation through the use of Aurora. Several airports across the country have implemented robots for various tasks such as cleaning, security patrols, and customer service,” agency spokesperson Danielle Tessen said in an email to The Associated Press.
In Alaska, wildlife service teams currently are used to scare birds and other wildlife away from runways with loud sounds, sometimes made with paintball guns.
Last year, there were 92 animal strikes near airports across Alaska, including 10 in Fairbanks, according to an Federal Aviation Administration database.
Most strikes resulted in no damage to the aircraft, but Marlow said the encounters can be expensive and dangerous in the rare instance when a bird is sucked into an engine, potentially causing a crash.
An AWACS jet crashed in 1995 when it hit a flock of geese, killing 24 people at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage.
If the test proves successful, Marlow said the agency could send similar robots to smaller airports in Alaska, which could be more cost effective than hiring human deterrent teams.
Aurora, which can be controlled from a table, computer or on an automated schedule, will always have a human handler with it, he said. It can navigate through rain or snow.
The robot from Boston Dynamics cost about $70,000 and was paid for with a federal grant.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- District Attorney: Officers justified in shooting armed 17-year-old burglary suspect in Lancaster
- California grads headed to HBCUs in the South prepare for college under abortion bans
- Ex-FBI counterintelligence official pleads guilty to conspiracy charge for helping Russian oligarch
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Special prosecutor will examine actions of Georgia’s lieutenant governor in Trump election meddling
- ‘The Blind Side’ story of Michael Oher is forever tainted – whatever version you believe
- Texas woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for role in killing of U.S. soldier Vanessa Guillén
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- NFL's highest-paid RBs: See full list of 2023 running back salary rankings
Ranking
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Social Security isn't enough for a comfortable retirement. What about these options?
- FBI offers $20,000 reward in unsolved 2003 kidnapping of American boy in Mexico
- Stock market today: Wall Street falls with markets worldwide after weak economic data from China
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Pet daycare flooding kills several dogs in Washington DC; Firefighter calls staff heroes
- Russia targets western Ukraine with missiles overnight and hits civilian infrastructure
- What is creatine? Get to know what it does for the body and how much to take.
Recommendation
Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
Family questions fatal police shooting of man after chase in Connecticut
Israel may uproot ancient Christian mosaic near Armageddon. Where it could go next sparks outcry
Massachusetts passed a millionaire's tax. Now, the revenue is paying for free public school lunches.
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
Deal over Florida’s redistricting plan could lead to restoration of Black-dominant district
Jax Taylor, OMAROSA and More Reality TV Icons to Compete on E!'s House of Villains
Powerball jackpot reaches $236 million. See winning numbers for Aug. 14 drawing.