This bird of wood and paper flies solo too

Don't get surprised if you see a bird like flying object moving in the sky without robotic or manual control.

Indore students will now be launching their own and the lesser known flying machine called the 'Ornithopter' which is an imitation of a real bird -- its anatomy and function. They got the idea at a workshop organised by Aerotrix Bangalore, an organisation dealing with areo-projects, at Acropolis Technical Campus.

Students were trained in workshop on preparing unique bird  imitation gadget.
Ornithopter is prepared using Balsa wood, paper and a sleek iron road and its wings flap in the wind like that of a flying bird. "The crank shaft which is made of a thin iron road is responsible for the flapping of the wings of the ornithopter," said Aerotrix trainer Krishnamurthy.

Mechanical engineering faculty of Acropolis College Prof Mahesh Pophaley said that Ornithopters are used by advanced countries for spying activities. "In addition to monitoring ground activities, advanced countries use it for spying by attaching a camera to the ornithopter which has exactly similar resemblance to a bird," he said.

Krishnamurthy said that efforts are being made in India to bring the ornithopter into commercial usage.

"At present the ornithopter is being studied and has no commercial utility but efforts are being done to develop it for commercial purpose like as a plane," he said.

Around 95 students from Indore, Bhopal and Dewas learnt to make ornithopter at the workshop.