The robot bird “deceived” the finches: their communication was shown on video

A team of scientists led by researcher Katharina Riebel developed RoboFinch to find out how young

Zebra finches learn to sing.With the support of the research consortium Seeing voices, experts have been developing the bird robot over the past four years. Experiments have shown that young zebra finches listen to him attentively. “Like children, young zebra finches gradually learn to sing. They hear the sounds of other birds, remember them and begin to practice,” the scientists explain.

Scientists conducted 3D scanning and 3D printingadult. Birds see colors differently than humans. So the paints that engineers used for the robots were adapted to the way zebra finches see color. As a result, the finches began to perceive the robot as a living bird.

Using high speed cameras,the research team filmed and then precisely measured the beak movements of zebra finches to make an exact replica. Despite all the difficulties, scientists succeeded. They got the bird to move correctly and synchronized several songs perfectly frame by frame.

Images of young zebra finches,interacting with RoboFinch inside a cell during the first experimental behavioral experiment. Courtesy: Methods in Ecology and Evolution(2023), DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.14063

The experiment showed that RoboFinch "deceived" birdsand immediately won their trust. “Zebra finches often hesitate when faced with something new. But they showed extreme curiosity about the robot,” the scientists write. The birds came up and sat on a perch next to the robot and chirped. More importantly, the juveniles sat still and studied RoboFinch when it began to move. “It looks like they really listened to the robot and learned,” the authors of the experiment conclude.

Various stages of the RoboFinch project. Courtesy: Methods in Ecology and Evolution (2023), DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.14063

The study was published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. The scientists also provided all the codes and instructions for creating your own robot. 

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