The Wright brothers, for instance, recognized that birds’ wing shapes were crucial in getting off the ground, so they copied those properties in their mechanical airplane design. Since the earliest days of human flight, inventors have been inspired by birds. “Moreover, when the owl catches prey, the shape of the wings is also constantly changing, so the study of the wing edge configuration during owl flight is of great significance.” An Engineering “Spirit Animal” “Nocturnal owls produce about 18 decibels less noise than other birds at similar flight speeds due to their unique wing configuration,” Xiaomin Liu, one of the paper’s authors, says in a press release. The researchers describe their work in a paper published in the journal Physics of Fluids late last year. The downy feathers on the rest of the wing may also absorb sound. Air that flows over these comb-like shapes breaks up instead of continuing in straight lines, which muffles the whoosh of the owl passing by. The scientists found that serrated (or sawtooth) trailing edges reduce the noise of rotating machinery, especially when shaped more like the edges of owl wings. 🦉 Let’s explore nature’s impact on engineering together. (Turbomachinery is a term that describes machines that transfer energy between a rotor and a fluid, including both turbines and compressors). Researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong University in Xi’an, China specifically used owl wings as the inspiration for quieter turbomachinery blades, which can be noisy as air sweeps over the trailing edge of their curved surfaces. This stealth ability has inspired scientists to create quieter movement for airfoil designs across everyday technologies, including aircraft, vehicles, drones, and wind turbines. Silent and agile, the winged creatures leave their prey with no time to escape as they swoop in for the kill. If birds could be ninjas, owls would make the best ones. If animal biologists and engineers work together, it could lead to a more complete understanding of why owls are virtually silent fliers.The trailing edge of an owl’s wings changes airflow patterns, muffling the noisy whoosh.Researchers are using biomimicry to design quieter turbomachinery, airplanes, and drones.
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