Alaska is getting a new predator with some amazing skills.
You might think the land of moose and bear has plenty of amazing predators already, but this one is a robot with a mission: Keep animals off runways.
Last year there were 92 instances of animal strikes on runway and these can be very dangerous — not just to the animals, but also planes and people.
But now the four-legged robot Aurora is coming to stalk the runways at the Fairbanks airport, hoping to spook birds and maybe even bears.
The dog-like robot is amazingly nimble. It can run across big rocks, snow, and ice, and even climb stairs. Designed with a colorful exterior, the robot can also be outfitted with a fur print to make it appear more like a fox or coyote.
Aurora can be controlled through a console inside the airport.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
