An American team of engineers at Stanford University have created robotic grippers that can be attached to drones, 

This device can transform drones into robotic birds capable of grabbing objects or perching on various surfaces. These new capacities could allow flying robots to conserve their batteries instead of having to stand still, for example during operations to search for survivors or help biologists to take samples more easily in the forest.

‘’ We want to be able to land anywhere, which is why it’s exciting from an engineering and robotics perspective’’ said David Lentink. This device could be used to save battery, spy without making any sound or even 

These grippers are imitating birds, which millions of years of evolution allow to cling to branches of different sizes or shapes. The Stanford team also used high-speed cameras to study how small parrots land on perches varying in size and material: wood, foam, sandpaper, and Teflon.

The grippers are based on the model of the peregrine falcon’s legs.

 The structure is made with a 3D printer, including motors and fishing lines as muscles and tendons.

 It takes 20 milliseconds for the mechanism to hook up, and an accelerometer then tells the robot that the landing process is complete. An algorithm allows the mechanical bird to keep its balance on the branch. The robotic bird has managed to grab objects thrown at it, like tennis balls, and land in real conditions in the forests of the northwestern United States.