A robotic platform for mimicking the flapping flight of bats

Abstract

To understand how bats control their wing movements based on biosonar inputs, it is important to identify the key kinematic synergies that need to be replicated on a robotic prototype so its wingbeat patterns and aerodynamic capabilities matches its biological counterpart. Attempting to replicate the approximately 20 degrees of freedom in each bat wing is challenging since more mechanical degrees of freedom increase mass and reduce reliability. Our proposed approach, is based on recordings of the kinematics of maneuvering bats that are obtained from high-speed camera data. The first two synergistic actions to implemented in the robot were wing flapping and folding that work together to increase net lift generation. During straight flight, these synergies follow a fixed synchronized pattern allowing a single-actuator robot model to mimic key bat flight characteristics. By recording the robot prototype's flight kinematics with the same high-speed camera setup, we can compare the flight kinematics of bats and flapping-flight robots inspired by them, quantifying differences in complexity and performance. The goal is a bioinspired robotic platform enabling detailed study of bat flight biomechanics and control strategies. This will provide new biological insights and advance flapping-flight robot development by determining kinematic complexity required for bat-like performance.