Automated aerodynamic performance estimates for flapping flight

The aerodynamic performance of freely flying birds is inherently difficult to measure directly without interfering with their natural flight. Many current methods thus combine kinematic parameters derived from high-speed video with theoretical force and power models. However, these methods often require manual tracking of points in each frame of a video to obtain kinematic data. This project utilizes image processing techniques to automatically extract kinematic data (stroke angle and wingbeat timing) from high speed videos of Pacific parrotlets flying from perch to perch. To analyze aerodynamic performance, this data is then combined with actuator disc theory to estimate the induced power during each wingbeat. Keywords—bird flight; image processing; aerodynamic performance; wingbeat; actuator disc