Abstract
Most insects and hummingbirds can generate lift during both upstroke and downstroke with a nearly horizontal flapping stroke plane, and perform precise hovering flight. Further, most birds can utilize tails and muscles in wings to actively control the flight performance, while insects control their flight with muscles based on wing root along with wing’s passive deformation. Based on the above flight principles of birds and insects, Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FWMAVs) are classified as either bird-inspired or insect-inspired FWMAVs. In this review, the research achievements on mechanisms of insect-inspired, hoverable FWMAVs over the last ten years (2011–2020) are provided. We also provide the definition, function, research status and development prospect of hoverable FWMAVs. Then discuss it from three aspects: bio-inspiration, motor-driving mechanisms and intelligent actuator-driving mechanisms. Following this, research groups involved in insect-inspired, hoverable FWMAV research and their major achievements are summarized and classified in tables. Problems, trends and challenges about the mechanism are compiled and presented. Finally, this paper presents conclusions about research on mechanical structure, and the future is discussed to enable further research interests.
Highlights
The definition of insect-inspired Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FWMAVs) is derived from the definition of the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) [1]
The objective of this paper is to present the current stateof-the-art mechanical structure of hoverable FWMAVs based on the past decade
This section mainly introduces the flapping mechanism and the control mechanism of hoverable FWMAVs driven by a motor and the materials used in these aircraft are briefly introduced
Summary
The definition of insect-inspired Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FWMAVs) is derived from the definition of the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) [1]. Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has been committed to research on insect flight mechanisms and prototype development The flapping plane of their wings was close to the horizontal state, which revealed the movement mechanism of hovering flight
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