Insect-sized ( $\sim$ 100 mg) aerial robots have advantages over larger because of their small size, low weight, and materials cost. Previous iterations demonstrated controlled flight but were difficult to fabricate they consisted many ...

A three-dimensional high-order unstructured dynamic grid based spectral difference (SD) Navier-Stokes (N-S) compressible flow solver with low Mach number preconditioning is used to investigate the effects of wing planforms on the aerodynamics performance of the thin finite-span flapping wings in this paper. Two types of wings, namely the rectangular and bio-inspired wings, are simulated and com...

Many flying animals use both flapping and gliding flight as part of their routine behaviour. These two kinematic patterns impose conflicting requirements on wing design for aerodynamic efficiency and, in the absence of extreme morphing, wings cannot be optimised for both flight modes. In gliding flight, the wing experiences uniform incident flow and the optimal shape is a high aspect ratio wing...

Abstract: To propel a lightweight structure, a hybrid wing structure was designed; the wing’s geometry resembled a rotor blade, and its flexibility resembled an insect’s flapping wing. The wing was designed to be flexible in twist and spanwise rigid, thus maintaining the aeroelastic advantages of a flexible wing. The use of a relatively “thick” airfoil enabled the achievement of higher strength...

In the present study, we have developed a smart flapping wing with a MFC (macro-fiber composites) actuator. To mimic the flying mechanisms of nature’s flyers such as birds or insects, the aerodynamic characteristics related to the birds and ornithopters are investigated. To measure the aerodynamic forces of flapping devices, a test stand consisting of two loadcells is manufactured, and the dyna...

Title of dissertation: DYNAMICS AND AEROELASTICITY OF HOVER CAPABLE FLAPPING WINGS: EXPERIMENTS AND ANALYSIS Beerinder Singh, Doctor of Philosophy, 2006 Dissertation directed by: Professor Inderjit Chopra Department of Aerospace Engineering This dissertation addresses the aerodynamics of insect-based, bio-inspired, flapping wings in hover. An experimental apparatus, with a bio-inspired flapping...

Flapping flight is more maneuverable than steady flight. It is debated whether this advantage is necessarily accompanied by a trade-off in the flight efficiency. Here we ask if any flapping motion exists that is aerodynamically more efficient than the optimal steady motion. We solve the Navier-Stokes equation governing the fluid dynamics around a 2D flapping wing, and determine the minimal aero...

Autonomous lightweight flapping-wing robots show potential to become a safe and affordable solution for rapidly deploying around humans in complex environments. The absence of propellers makes such vehicles more resistant physical contact, permitting flight cluttered environments, collaborating with humans. Importantly, the provision thousands species birds that have already mastered challengin...

Intraspecific variation in adult body mass can be particularly high in some insect species, mandating adjustment of the wing's structural properties to support the weight of the larger body mass in air. Insect wings elastically deform during flapping, dynamically changing the twist and camber of the relatively thin and flat aerofoil. We examined how wing deformations during free flight scale wi...

An experimental study was conducted to assess the acoustic performance of a two-winged Flapping-Wing Micro-Air-Vehicle (FW-MAV) with various wing materials and wing structure configurations for flapping flight applications. It was concluded that highly elastic materials could significantly reduce the flapping wing noise in a wide spectrum of audible frequencies. Furthermore, a dielectric elasto...