Scientists Find Sneaky Way To Check Penguins' Vital Signs

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. The emperor penguins made famous in "March Of The Penguins" are extremely shy. Their heart rates go up when researchers get near enough to check their vital signs, so scientists came up with a way to approach remotely - a rover disguised as a baby penguin. The fluffy, little spy endeared itself to the real ones. They even sang to it and seemed disappointed that the rover wouldn't peep. So the next model will be programmed to sing back. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.