James D. DeLaurier is an inventor and professor emeritus of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies.
He is a leader in design and analysis of lighter than air vehicles and flapping winged aircraft.
This project was the initiative of the Communications Research Centre, and was called SHARP (Stationary High-Altitude Relay Platform).
The DeLaurier lab, along with Jeremy M. Harris, designed and built a proof-of-concept scaled ornithopter that is recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale as the world's first successful remotely piloted engine-powered flapping-wing aircraft (UTIAS Ornithopter No.1 or, more commonly, "Mr.
[1] The team then went on to design and build an engine-powered human-carrying ornithopter, called "The Great Flapper", which took off from the ground and sustained flight on 8 July 2006.