Bird Flight Research Center Breaks Ground at UC Davis

A new research center to study how bird flight can influence aircraft design broke ground this fall at the University of California, Davis. 

The bird flight research center is led by Christina Harvey, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Davis, in collaboration with Michelle Hawkins, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine and director of the California Raptor Center. It is anticipated to open in the spring. 

The new center, funded by a nearly $3 million grant from the Department of Defense, or DOD, will be the first-of-its-kind in the country. It will utilize motion capture and photogrammetry — which uses photography to determine the distance between objects — technologies to image birds in flight and create 3D models of the wing shapes to inform the design and capabilities of the next generation of uncrewed aerial systems, or UAS. 

"I am thrilled to see this facility start to come to life and that we will soon be able to welcome our collaborators from around the campus, the U.S. and the world," said Harvey. "I am grateful for our fantastic team, including the supportive individuals from the California Raptor Center, partners in engineering and veterinary medicine, Design and Construction Management, the contractors, and the students and researchers. We are excited and ready to contribute to a deeper understanding of the world around us."

The facility will comprise a covered, prefabricated barn that will serve as an indoor hall in which the birds can fly and maneuver. Infrared and high-speed, high-resolution cameras will be installed along the hall, which will also house holding cages, called mews, to acclimate the birds to the flight area. 

The combination of motion capture and photogrammetry will enable Harvey to create 3D models of complex wing shapes and investigate fundamental research questions, such as how birds control their dynamic systems in flight and what attributes are necessary to achieve specific maneuvers. Incorporating these birdlike attributes into aircraft design could unlock a world of potential for uncrewed aerial systems, from package delivery in remote and urban areas to wildfire surveillance.

Harvey appreciates that the Army, the DOD department supporting the project, has placed such value in advancing fundamental science. 

"The Bird Flight Research Center represents a breadth of scientific and technological potential," said Dean Culver, U.S. Army project manager for the award. "I foresee valuable contributions to global conversations in engineering, robotics, control and tech-facing fields surely, but the value of investigations made possible by this facility in evolution, biology and biotic system rehabilitation cannot be overstated. These outcomes promise enormous value to the Army, DOD and, indeed, the nation's research and material ecosystems."

View groundbreaking photos