Design and Fabrication of a Bio-Inspired Flapping Flight Micro-Air Vehicle

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Bunget ◽  
Stefan Seelecke ◽  
Thomas J. Place
Keyword(s):  
Flapping Flight ◽  
Skeletal Structure ◽  
Current Phase ◽  
Mechanical Transmission ◽  
Wind Gust ◽  
Muscle System ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Agile Flight ◽  
Bat Wing

The main objective of the BATMAV project is the development of a biologically-inspired Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) with flexible and foldable wings for flapping flight. While flapping flight in MAV has been previously studied and a number of models were realized they usually had unfoldable wings actuated with DC motors and mechanical transmission to provide the flapping motion, a system that brings the disadvantage of a heavy flight platform. This phase of the BATMAV project presents a flight platform that features bat-inspired wings with a number of flexible joints to allow mimicking the kinematics of the real mammalian flyer. The bat was chosen after an extensive analysis of the flight parameters of small birds, bats and large insects characterized by a superior maneuverability and wind gust rejection. Morphological and aerodynamic parameters were collected from existing literature and compared concluding that bat wing present a suitable platform that can be actuated efficiently using artificial muscles. Due to their wing camber variation, the bat species can operate effectively at a large rage of speeds and allow remarkably maneuverable and agile flight. Bat skeleton measurements were taken and modeled in SolidWorks to accurately reproduce bones and body via rapid prototyping machines. Much attention was paid specifically to achieving the comparable strength, elasticity, and range of motion of a naturally occurring bat. Therefore, a desktop model was designed, fabricated and assembled in order to study and optimize the effect of various flapping patterns on thrust and lift forces. As a whole, the BATMAV project consists of four major stages of development: the current phase — design and fabrication of the skeletal structure of the flight platform, selection and testing different materials for the design of a compliant bat-like membrane, analysis of the kinematics and kinetics of bat flight in order to design a biomechanical muscle system for actuation, and design of the electrical control architecture to coordinate the platform flight.

Dynamic Characterization of Brushless DC Motors and Propellers for Flight Applications

2017 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
pp. 159-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic Muzar ◽  
Eric Lanteigne ◽  
Justin McLeod
Keyword(s):  
Simple Model ◽  
Brushless Dc Motor ◽  
Dynamic Characterization ◽  
Brushless Dc Motors ◽  
Brushless Dc ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Simple Motor ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Selection Of

Although there exist a number of accurate unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) thruster models, these models require the precise measurements of several motor and propeller characteristics. This paper presents a simple motor and propeller model that relies solely upon data provided by manufacturers. The model is validated by comparing theoretical motor and propeller behavior to experimental results obtained from thrust tests in a wind tunnel. The objective is to provide an accurate yet simple model to facilitate the selection of appropriate brushless DC motor and propeller combinations for flight applications.

Aerodynamics of plunging airfoil in wind gust

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (7) ◽  
pp. 1050-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpan Das ◽  
Shaligram Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Wind Gust ◽  
Navier Stokes Equation ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Freestream Velocity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Naca0012 Airfoil ◽  
Reduced Frequency ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Lift And Drag

Purpose Growing application of micro aerial vehicle (MAV) sets in demand for accurate computations of low Reynolds number flows past their wings. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of unsteady freestream velocity or wind gust on a harmonically plunging symmetric NACA0012 airfoil at Re = 1,000. The influence of unsteady parameters, such as reduced frequency of plunging motion (0.25 < k < 1.5), non-dimensional plunging amplitude (ho = 0.2) and non-dimensional amplitude of wind gust (0.1 = λ = 0.4) has been studied. Design/methodology/approach Computations have been carried out using commercial software ANSYS Fluent 16.0. To incorporate the plunging motion, the entire reference frame is oscillating, and thereby, a source term is added in the Navier–Stokes equation. Findings The results have been presented in the form of streamlines, vorticity contours, lift and drag signals and their spectra. It is observed that the ratio of plunging frequency to gust frequency (f/fg) has strong influence on periodic characteristics of unsteady wake. It has also been observed that for a fixed plunging amplitude, an increase in value of k results into a change from positive drag to thrust. Practical implications The research has implications in the development of MAV. Originality/value This study is intended to get a better understanding of unsteady parameters associated with gusty flow in flapping wing applications and possible ways to alleviate its adverse effect on it.

Design and Prototyping of a Walking Quadrotor

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arash Kalantari ◽  
Matthew Spenko
Keyword(s):  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Basic Structure ◽  
Vertical Movement ◽  
Brushless Dc Motors ◽  
Terrestrial Locomotion ◽  
Brushless Dc ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Leg Motion ◽  
Compliant Mechanism Design

The design and experimental prototype of a hybrid robot capable of both aerial and terrestrial locomotion is presented in this paper. A unique compliant mechanism design makes it possible to use a single actuator set for both walking and flying. This is advantageous because it reduces both the total weight of the system and the control system complexity. The basic structure is similar to a quadrotor aerial vehicle, i.e. four brushless DC motors provide the required thrust for flying. The desired leg motion is derived from two separate linear movements. Horizontal motion of the legs is achieved by driving the main actuators in reverse. A second linear actuation unit, which is set into motion by shape memory alloy (SMA) wires, enables vertical movement of the leg during terrestrial locomotion.

Wind gust alerting for supervisory control of a Micro Aerial Vehicle

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manal Habib ◽  
Paul W. Quimby ◽  
Stephen Chang ◽  
Kimberly Jackson ◽  
Mary L. Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Supervisory Control ◽  
Wind Gust ◽  
Micro Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

BATMAV: Development and Testing of a SMA-Based Bio-Inspired Flapping Platform

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Bunget ◽  
Stefan Seelecke
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Kinematic Model ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Joint Rotation ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Trailing Edges ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Kinematic Models ◽  
Bat Wing ◽  
Thrust Forces

The overall objective of the BATMAV project is the development of a biologically-inspired Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) with flexible and foldable wings for flapping flight. This paper presents a platform that features bat-inspired wings which are able to mimic the folding motion of the elbow and wrist joints of the natural flyer. This flapping platform makes use of the dual roll of the Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) to mimic the flexible joints and flapping muscles of the natural wings. The approach of this project was to learn from the natural flyer through a systematic analysis of their flight and to mimic their flapping mechanisms. A systematic study of the bat flight kinematics helped to identify the required joint angles as relevant degrees of freedom for wing actuation. Kinematic models of wings with 2 and 3-DOFs have been developed with the intention of mimicking the wing trajectories of the natural flier Plecotus auritus. A further kinematic model for the joint rotation angle has been developed in order to determine the attachment locations of SMA ‘muscle-wires’ as well as their routes along the wing ‘bones’. As part of this study individual elbow-joint systems were designed, fabricated and used to experimentally validate the above model’s prediction. The elastic skin membrane of the bat wing has been reproduced using a thin-film silicon membrane which has been suitably prestrained and shaped to mimic the leading and trailing edges of the bat wing. To measure the aerodynamic forces developed by the flapping platform, a test stand consisting of two load cells was assembled, and the dynamic tests were performed for a 2-DOF flapping wings. The lift and thrust forces as well as the flapping amplitude were measured.

Exact laser beam positioning for measurement of vegetation vitality

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 532-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Lindner ◽  
Oleg Sergiyenko ◽  
Moises Rivas-López ◽  
Daniel Hernández-Balbuena ◽  
Wendy Flores-Fuentes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Beam ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Laser Energy ◽  
Vision System ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Continuous Control ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a novel application for a newly developed Technical Vision System (TVS), which uses a laser scanner and dynamic triangulation, to determine the vitality of agriculture vegetation. This vision system, installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle, shall measure the reflected laser energy and thereby determine the normalized differenced vegetation index. Design/methodology/approach The newly developed TVS shall be installed on the front part of the unmanned aerial vehicle, to perform line-by-line scan in the vision system field-of-view. The TVS uses high-quality DC motors, instead of previously researched low-quality DC motors, to eliminate the existence of two mutually exclusive conditions, for exact positioning of a DC motor shaft. The use of high-quality DC motors reduces the positioning error after control. Findings Present paper emphasizes the exact laser beam positioning in the field-of-view of a TVS. By use of high-quality instead of low-quality DC motors, a significant reduced positioning time was achieved, maintaining the relative angular position error less than 1 per cent. Best results were achieved, by realizing a quasi-continuous control, using a high pulse-width modulated duty cycle resolution and a high execution frequency of the positioning algorithm. Originality/value The originality of present paper is represented by the novel application of the newly developed TVS in the field of agriculture. The vitality of vegetation shall be determined by measuring the reflected laser energy of a scanned agriculture zone. The paper’s main focus is on the exact laser beam positioning within the TVS field-of-view, using high-quality DC motors in closed-loop position control configuration.

Altitude and Attitude Control of a Trirotor UAV

2014 ◽  
Vol 903 ◽  
pp. 309-314
Author(s):  
Ismail Mohd Khairuddin ◽  
Anwar P.P.A. Majeed ◽  
Ann Lim ◽  
Mohd Azraai Mohd Razman ◽  
Abdul Aziz Jaafar
Keyword(s):  
Attitude Control ◽  
Control Algorithm ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Pd Controller ◽  
Proportional Integral Derivative ◽  
Pid Tuning ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Altitude Control ◽  
Classical Control

This paper outlines the dynamic modelling as well as the attitude and altitude control of a rotary based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). A multirotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs, namely Trirotor aircraft is investigated. In essence the the trirotor model consists of three DC motors equipped with three fixed pitch angle rotors without the aid of a swashplate. The mathematical modelling of this multirotor is governed by the Newton-Euler formulation. A classical control algorithm viz. heuristic (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) PID tuning was adopted in the attitude and altitude control of this particular multirotor configuration. It was established from the Simulink simulations that, a PD controller was suffice to control the attitude whilst PID was apt for controlling the altitude of this form of multirotor.

PIL simulations of an FWUAV under windy conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 461-470
Author(s):  
Hakan Ülker ◽  
Cemal Baykara ◽  
Can Özsoy
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Wind Gust ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flying Qualities ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Model Predictive Controllers ◽  
Predictive Controllers ◽  
Complex Trajectories ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose A fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (FWUAV) is targeted to perform processor in the loop (PIL) simulations for the flight scenarios such as straight and level, level climb, level turn, climbing turn and level steady heading sideslip under windy conditions such as steady wind (SW) and wind gust (WG) in a desired and controlled manner. Design/methodology/approach The constrained multi-input–multi-output (MIMO) lateral and longitudinal linear models-based model predictive controllers (MPCs) which are proposed in a previous study (Ulker et al., 2017) are tested in the PIL simulations under specified windy conditions. BeagleBone Black Rev C is used as a target hardware or processor in the PIL simulations. Findings The results of the PIL simulations show that the MPCs proposed in the previous study can achieve satisfactory performance and flying qualities for the all flight scenarios handled in this paper under windy conditions. Practical implications The MPCs proposed in the previous study can be easily implemented in the real world to a low-cost and small-sized board like BeagleBone Black Rev C which is used in this paper. Originality/value The proposed MPCs in the previous study which are capable of providing more flexibility in terms of tracking complex trajectories are showed to be able to be implemented to real system by means of PIL simulations under the changeable windy conditions which are difficult for performance tests.

scholarly journals Design and Implementation of GPS Based Medical Services using Drone

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6S3) ◽  
pp. 1683-1686
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Overall Design ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Medical Supplies ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Software Platforms ◽  
Control Circuits

This paper is aimed to provide medical assistance to people through the delivery of medical supplies by unmanned drones. The use of unmanned drones’ benefits people in distant areas around the world. The paper gives attentionto the design of a biocompatible payload and a drone to accomplish medical supply delivery. Design of the drone healthcare delivery network isfacilitatingstructured and low-cost delivery of healthcare to save lives. Dronesare capable of sustainable flight, which need not human presence on board, and have enough control for performingnecessary functions. This paper utilizes a range of hardware components and software platforms that were integrated into the overall design of the medical drone. Hardware components includes IMU enabled GPS, ArduCopter 2.6 Flight Controller, Data Transmission and Receiving module, Electronic Speed Control Circuits, DC Motors, Propellers, LiPo battery, Servo Connectors. GPS is used for navigation in betweenground stations that are automated, to deliver necessary medications in locations that lack enough roads. Unmanned aerial vehicle is remotely or automatically controlled. Software platform used is ArduPilot Mission Planner and mobile phone or tabletapps can be used to track and navigate. Network is managed by drone operating system to monitor weather data from every ground stationand it optimizes the drone routes in this proposed approach we are designing a paper which is effective in many applications like transporting blood and small emergency medicines such as first-aid kits. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles can be used in future to provide medical help in field of surveillance and at the time of earthquake, drones help rescuers to locate survivors.The military in combat can use drones, and it can also be used for humanitarian aid.

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