Control of Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles

Most birds and many insects use periodic wing motion to propel themselves and maneuver. Most conventional flying machines are propelled by rotating machinery, achieve lift through rotating or fixed wings, and are controlled through the production of steady aerodynamic forces produced by rotors or movable wings. Many of the first powered flapping-wing micro air vehicles (MAVs) effectively replaced rotational propulsion modes with flapping wings and maintained control using conventional aerodynamic control surfaces or, in some cases, rotors. Recently, researchers have begun to develop aircraft that are controlled by manipulating the motion of the flapping wings themselves.