Albatross: The Original Autonomous GliderHow a bird's flight could power near-perpetual missions.

From the show

Nature Solved It First

Engineers are copying the albatross's unique flight to build ultra-efficient drones. By repeatedly crossing the boundary between different wind speeds, these birds harvest energy from the air itself, allowing them to soar for thousands of miles with almost no effort. Applying this principle of 'dynamic soaring' to UAVs could enable them to fly for extended periods, drastically reducing power needs for surveillance and environmental monitoring.