Scientists Tempt Their Fate With Robo-Squirrel

[donutsweeper]

AMHERST, Massachusetts (AP)  --  One gray squirrel, its bushy tail twitching, barked a warning as another scrounged for food nearby.

It was an ordinary spring day at Hampshire College, except that the rodent issuing the warning was powered by amps, not acorns.

Dubbed "Rocky" after the cartoon character, the robo-squirrel is working its way into Hampshire's live-squirrel clique, controlled by researchers several yards away with a laptop computer and binoculars.

Sarah Partan, an assistant professor in animal behavior at Hampshire, hopes that by capturing a close-up view of squirrels in nature, Rocky will help her team decode squirrels' communication techniques, social cues and survival instincts.

Comments

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I'll be writing a lot of stuff. I have all of graveyard shift to sit and contemplate...and job hunt.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

excellent! I mean... graveyard shift? blech

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

It is excellent, actually, because I don't have to deal with people.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

that is pretty cool

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

And I get to smuggle in my laptop.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

even better!

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

is the pay the same?

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I actually get more for working graveyard.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

even better!

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Indeed.