Quad-thopter: Tailless flapping wing robot with four pairs of wings

We present a novel design of a tailless flapping wing micro air vehicle, which uses four independently driven pairs of flapping wings in order to fly and perform agile maneuvers. The wing pairs are arranged such that differential thrust generates the desired roll and pitch moments, similar to a quadrotor. Moreover, two pairs of wings are tilted clockwise and two pairs of wings anti-clockwise. This allows the micro air vehicle to generate a yaw moment. We have constructed the design and performed multiple flight tests with it, both indoors and outdoors. These tests have shown the vehicle to be capable of agile maneuvers and able to cope with wind gusts. The main advantage is that the proposed design is relatively simple to produce, and yet has the capabilities expected of tailless flapping wing micro air vehicles.

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Design of a Bio-Inspired Spherical Four-Bar Mechanism for Flapping-Wing Micro Air-Vehicle Applications

Volume 2: 32nd Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/detc2008-50066 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Matt McDonald ◽

Sunil K. Agrawal

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensional ◽

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Aerodynamic Performance ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Micro Air Vehicle ◽

Aerodynamic Forces ◽

Flapping Motion ◽

Wing Motion ◽

Air Vehicle ◽

Flapping Mechanism

Design of flapping-wing micro air-vehicles presents many engineering challenges. As observed by biologists, insects and birds exhibit complex three-dimensional wing motions. It is believed that these unique patterns of wing motion create favorable aerodynamic forces that enable these species to fly forward, hover, and execute complex motions. From the perspective of micro air-vehicle applications, extremely lightweight designs that accomplish these motions of the wing, using just a single, or a few actuators, are preferable. This paper presents a method to design a spherical four-bar flapping mechanism that approximates a given spatial flapping motion of a wing, considered to have favorable aerodynamics. A spherical flapping mechanism was then constructed and its aerodynamic performance was compared to the original spatially moving wing using an instrumented robotic flapper with force sensors.

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Design and Analysis of Flapping Wing

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.110-116.3495 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 110-116 ◽

pp. 3495-3499

Author(s):

G.C. Vishnu Kumar ◽

M. Rahamath Juliyana

Keyword(s):

Experimental Data ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Micro Air Vehicle ◽

Flapping Wings ◽

Visualization Technique ◽

Aerodynamic Forces ◽

Flapping Motion ◽

Smoke Flow ◽

Air Vehicle ◽

Lift And Drag

This paper the optimum wing planform for flapping motion is investigated by measuring the lift and drag characteristics. A model is designed with a fixed wing and two flapping wings attached to its trailing edge. Using wind tunnel tests are conducted to study the effect of angle of attack (smoke flow visualization technique). The test comprises of measuring the aerodynamic forces with flapping motion and without it for various flapping frequencies and results are presented. It can be possible to produce a micro air vehicle which is capable of stealthy operations for defence requirements by using these experimental data.

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Modeling and Simulation of Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles

Volume 7: 29th Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/detc2005-85237 ◽

2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Zaeem A. Khan ◽

Sunil K. Agrawal

Keyword(s):

Experimental Investigation ◽

Modeling And Simulation ◽

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Micro Air Vehicle ◽

Preliminary Design ◽

Unsteady Aerodynamic ◽

Aerodynamic Model ◽

Air Vehicle ◽

Simulation Results

This paper presents modeling and simulation of a flapping wing micro air vehicle. The overall geometry of this vehicle is based on hummingbirds and large insects. The purpose of this study is to understand the mechanics of flight and to achieve a preliminary design based on simulation results. A quasi-unsteady aerodynamic model is used based on in-house experimental investigation of flapping wing aerodynamics. The simulation results reveal important information regarding the behaviour of the system, that could be used in future designs.

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Flow Visualization around a Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle in Free Flight Using Large-Scale PIV

Aerospace ◽

10.3390/aerospace5040099 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 99 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Alejandro del Estal Herrero ◽

Mustafa Percin ◽

Matej Karasek ◽

Bas van Oudheusden

Keyword(s):

Flow Field ◽

Large Scale ◽

Light Sheet ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Micro Air Vehicle ◽

Flapping Wings ◽

Free Flight ◽

True Nature ◽

Flight Direction ◽

Air Vehicle

Flow visualizations have been performed on a free flying, flapping-wing micro air vehicle (MAV), using a large-scale particle image velocimetry (PIV) approach. The PIV method involves the use of helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB) as tracer particles. HFSB scatter light with much higher intensity than regular seeding particles, comparable to that reflected off the flexible flapping wings. This enables flow field visualization to be achieved close to the flapping wings, in contrast to previous PIV experiments with regular seeding. Unlike previous tethered wind tunnel measurements, in which the vehicle is fixed relative to the measurement setup, the MAV is now flown through the measurement area. In this way, the experiment captures the flow field of the MAV in free flight, allowing the true nature of the flow representative of actual flight to be appreciated. Measurements were performed for two different orientations of the light sheet with respect to the flight direction. In the first configuration, the light sheet is parallel to the flight direction, and visualizes a streamwise plane that intersects the MAV wings at a specific spanwise position. In the second configuration, the illumination plane is normal to the flight direction, and visualizes the flow as the MAV passes through the light sheet.

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Design of a Bio-Inspired Spherical Four-Bar Mechanism for Flapping-Wing Micro Air-Vehicle Applications

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics ◽

10.1115/1.4001460 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Matt McDonald ◽

Sunil K. Agrawal

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensional ◽

Micro Air Vehicles ◽

Aerodynamic Performance ◽

Flapping Wing ◽

Micro Air Vehicle ◽

Light Weight ◽

Aerodynamic Forces ◽

Wing Motion ◽

Air Vehicle ◽

Flapping Mechanism

The design of flapping-wing micro air-vehicles presents many engineering challenges. As observed by biologists, insects and birds exhibit complex three-dimensional wing motions. It is believed that these unique patterns of wing motion create favorable aerodynamic forces that enable these species to fly forward, hover, and execute complex motions. From the perspective of micro air-vehicle applications, extremely light-weight designs that accomplish these motions of the wing, using just a single or a few actuators, are preferable. This paper presents a method to design a spherical four-bar flapping mechanism that approximates a given spatial flapping motion of a wing, considered to have favorable aerodynamics. A spherical flapping mechanism was then constructed and its aerodynamic performance was compared to the original spatially moving wing using an instrumented robotic flapper with force sensors.

Download Full-text