And now for your moment of squee

[geekchick]

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/bird-buggy-keeps-noisy-parrot-quiet-mobile-1C7499874

In an effort to quiet his loud pet parrot, a robotics student has created what must certainly be one of the most complex devices ever to be operated by a bird. The "Bird Buggy" lets the parrot roll safely around the house — and keeps his beak occupied.

Andrew Gray, an engineering graduate student at the University of Florida, set out to make a device that would stop Pepper, his parrot, from screaming all the time. Deterrents didn't work: A robotic squirt gun ended up just being a scream-activated bird bath; meanwhile, a device that rattled loudly when Pepper squawked was just ignored.

Gray noticed that Pepper was calmer when they were in the same room. Of course, a big bird like a parrot can't really be allowed to fly around a house willy-nilly. So Gray built the Bird Buggy, a little scooter with a perch for Pepper and a joystick the bird can operate with his beak.

Comments

[free-of-whip.livejournal.com]

Hmm... It says, "Of course, a big bird like a parrot can't really be allowed to fly around a house willy-nilly." But I'm wondering what keeps the bird from flying. It doesn't appear that the "Bird Buggy" is enclosed in any way.

[fimbrethil.livejournal.com]

OMG! I am now imagining the chaos of my 8 parrots riding these gizmos through the house, chasing my cats!

[fimbrethil.livejournal.com]

Looking at Pepper and the wing shape, I'd guess the owner clips the wings. It's not painful and it keeps the bird from flying. Our birds do fly willy-nilly but that's just our preference.

[vizsludraugas.livejournal.com]

Ha! That was pretty funny.

[geekchick]

I read that sentence in the article and though "Of course they can, if the owner doesn't mind." :)

[geekchick]

That would be hysterical (for me, but maybe not the cats). :D Combine that with the cat riding the Roomba and swatting the dog as it roomba-ed past, and probably you'd have the most viral video on the internet. ;)

[geekchick]

I was thinking "I wonder if I could train the cat to ride a scooter around like this", and then I realized what a terrible, terrible idea it would be. *laugh*

[vizsludraugas.livejournal.com]

The thought of cats running over people's toes for the sheer fun of it comes to my mind.

[galestorm.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, what a great video! I love when the parrot rides to the house back-door, waits a sec, then maneuvers the buggy 180 degrees round-about and keeps going.

As for your comment about training a cat to ride a scooter, it's only a terrible idea if the cat can't manage to catch the bird, but think how frustrated that would make the cat, so the cat was forced to create and build a proper scooter that would have no question about overtaking that damn bird, breaking its neck and serving it up in a bowl. *nods*

[fixx.livejournal.com]

I've been associated with various parrots through friends for over 20 years, including an African Gray among them and a couple of Cockatoos. From what I've been able to determine in my dealings with intelligent birds (and even cats and dogs) is that they are happiest when they have some control over their environment.

For my cats I installed motion operated light switches. I guarantee, if you permit your pets to turn on your lights, they will, and it will give them joy. You'll know!

A couple of years ago I bought a clapper switch for my friend's African Gray and advised her to connect it to a lamp. The bird loved it. Currently I'm procrastinating the project of building the parrot a ruggedized TV remote which will limit the bird to just two operations, Channel UP or DOWN. And before you ask yes the bird totally watches TV and even responds to questions on game shows.