Abstract
An analysis of the kinematics of a flapping membrane wing using experimental kinematic data is presented. This motion capture technique tracks the positon of the retroreflective marker(s) placed on the left wing of a 1.3-m-wingspan ornithopter. The time-varying three-dimensional data of the wing kinematics were recorded for a single frequency. The wing shape data was then plotted on a two-dimensional plane to understand the wing dynamic behaviour of an ornithopter. Specifically, the wing tip path, leading edge bending, wing membrane shape, local twist, stroke angle and wing velocity were analyzed. As the three characteristic angles can be expressed in the Fourier series as a function of time, the kinematics of the wing can be computationally generated for the aerodynamic study of flapping flight through the Fourier coefficients presented. Analysis of the ornithopter wing showed how the ornithopter closely mimics the flight motions of birds despite several physical limitations.
Highlights
Flapping wing flight is one of the most successful and widely used forms of locomotion in the natural world
This section examines the kinematics of the ornithopter, in particular its wing tip path, leading
This edge section examines the kinematics of the ornithopter, in particular its wing tip path, leading bending and wing membrane shape
Summary
Flapping wing flight is one of the most successful and widely used forms of locomotion in the natural world. 10 thousand scientifically described species of birds and nearly a million known insects rely on powered flight as a form of aerial locomotion [1]. Unlike conventional aerial vehicles which rely on a rigid wing and propeller to generate lift and thrust respectively, or a rotary wing in the case of a rotorcraft to generate both lift and thrust, birds generate lift and thrust by moving their wings relative to their body in an oscillatory (flapping) motion. Aerial vehicles that imitate this oscillatory motion for the purpose of flight are known as ornithopters. A European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is capable of flying at 120 body lengths per second, and various species of swifts are even more impressive at over 140 body lengths per second [4].
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