High-Performance Morphing Wing for Large-Scale Bio-Inspired Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

This letter proposes a novel bio-inspired wing design to improve some characteristics of Flapping Wing Unmanned Vehicles (FWUV) related to their potential applications such as payload capability, maneuverability, low injury risk, and energy improvement. The suggested solution takes advantage of a broadly based avian research, focusing on the integration of advanced bird-like features ranging from bird-like high-compliant airfoil to active morphing strategies to mimic the ways birds naturally manage flights. The proposed conceptual design is supported by Unsteady Vortex Latex Method simulations provided by a novel flapping-oriented open-source solver. Prototype validation relies on both test-bench and real-flights results. A motion capture system is used to validate the wing aero-elastic characteristics. The resulted improvements are highlighted by a comprehensive comparison with different similar-size prototypes.