Inertial redirection of thrust forces for flight stabilization

Insects are highly maneuverable fliers. Naturally, engineers have focused much of their efforts on understanding the role of insect wing design and actuation for maneuvering and control of bio-inspired micro air vehicles. However, many insects exhibit strong visually mediated abdominal reflexes. The hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, has a particularly large abdomen, and recent evidence suggests that these visuo-abdominal reflexes are used to inertially redirect thrust forces for control. In a biologically inspired control framework, we show that the stability of a quadrotor can be categorically improved by redirecting aerodynamic forces using appendage inertia.