Abstract
Flapping-wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) that mimic the flight capabilities of insects have been sought for decades. Core to the vehicle’s flight capabilities is the mechanism that drives the wings to produce thrust and lift. This article describes a newly designed flapping-wing mechanism (FWM) inspired by the North American hawk moth, Manduca sexta. Moreover, the hardware, software, and experimental testing methods developed to measure the efficiency of insect-scale flapping-wing systems (i.e., the lift produced per unit of input power) are detailed. The new FWM weighs 1.2 grams without an actuator and wings attached, and its maximum dimensions are 21 × 24 × 11 mm. This FWM requires 402 mW of power to operate, amounting to a 48% power reduction when compared to a previous version. In addition, it generates 1.3 gram-force of lift at a flapping frequency of 21.6 Hz. Results show progress, but they have not yet met the power efficiency of the naturally occurring Manduca sexta. Plans to improve the technique for measuring efficiency are discussed as well as strategies to more closely mimic the efficiency of the Manduca sexta-inspired FWM.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been increased usage of miniature aircraft controlled remotely with semi-autonomous capabilities
Additional load experiments were considered in order to determine the motor’s transient response by running experiments with various angular moments of inertia attached to the motor’s shaft. This could prove useful in developing accurate motor simulations but was not necessary to obtain initial performance data on the flapping-wing mechanism (FWM)
These results suggest that the inefficiencies of the current flapping wing system lie within the conversion of the forewing motion into lift
Summary
There has been increased usage of miniature aircraft controlled remotely with semi-autonomous capabilities. These aircraft, colloquially referred to as “drones”, have a multitude of applications including aerial photography and videography, short-range communication, meteorology, transportation and delivery, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue. These many applications, in addition to improvements in ease of use and a reduction in cost, have generated an increase in demand for these vehicles. Flight forces are generally achieved through flapping wings
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