The Pigeon Guided Missile
The pigeon-guided missile, part of Project Pigeon or Project Orcon (Organic Control), was the brainchild of psychologist and animal behaviorist B.F. Skinner. While missiles were relatively simple technologically, guidance technology did not exist. The U.S. government gave Skinner a $25,000 grant to attempt to design a pigeon-guided missile. Pigeons were relatively intelligent, trainable, and had excellent vision, making them an ideal choice for the project.
Skinner had already successfully trained pigeons to complete basic tasks, like pressing a lever, for food. He built a mock nosecone with seats for several pigeons, in individual tiny cockpits and electronic screens. The pigeons were taught to peck when they saw the target, in this case, an image of an enemy ship. If the ship moved toward the outer areas of the screens, the pigeons’ pecking at the target on the screens steered the missile, and the target returned to the center of the screen.
Each missile would have one to three pigeon pilots; their pecking at the target would pull cables that steered the missile to its target. Skinner’s pigeon control system worked; he successfully tested it, illustrating the effectiveness of the birds as pilots. For the birds, unfortunately, the pigeon-guided missiles would have been a kamikaze mission.
While the idea and logic was sound, and the use of animals in World War II was common, government support for Project Pigeon was limited. Support was withdrawn after the successful trials in 1944, and Project Pigeon did not proceed. It was briefly revitalized from 1948 to 1953 and ended with the introduction of electronic guidance systems. While the pigeon-guided missiles Skinner’s training of the pigeons was effective enough that his pigeons could still peck their targets several years later.
Skinner went on to continue his studies and work with animals, as well as creating a range of inventions. Some of those inventions remain influential in educational technology today, including computer software.