Aerospace engineers have demonstrated the soft, perched landing of an autonomous ornithopter micro aerial vehicle (MAV).

‘The driving philosophy behind the work is that the manoeuvrability and control efficiency of avian flight can be replicated by applying their actuation and control principles to advanced MAVs designed on the size scale of small birds,’ said Aditya Paranjape at Illinois University at Urbana-Champaign.

A typical perching manoeuvre consists of two phases: a gliding phase to bring the bird to a suitable position with respect to the landing spot; and a rapid pitch-up (usually to a post-stall angle of attack) accompanied by an instantaneous climb and rapid deceleration.
via the engineer UK