Authors:

Sota Yanagisawa

Date Created:

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About Paper:

Flapping-wing aerial vehicles (FWAV) inspired by birds have been researched for their potential for advanced maneuvering capability and endurance compared to traditional fixed-wing aircraft. However, the transition from flapping to gliding and its experimental validation for FWAVs has received limited attention in previous studies. Incorporating this transition into FWAV design will allow small-scale aircraft to mimic the enhanced flying qualities of birds. This study aims to develop and prototype a FWAV with a glide-lock mechanism that ensures a smooth transition from flapping to gliding flight and static stability during gliding. The glide lock mechanism was incorporated into a wrist-flexing multi-axis flapping mechanism. Hall effect sensors were used to detect and lock the position of the wings, enabling the transition from flapping to gliding. Flight testing of the FWAV was performed in various flight conditions to fully characterize the glide-lock mechanism proposed in this study. Data from the onboard microcontroller was collected to examine the flight performance, including flapping frequency and acting forces. The data was then compared with computational studies and data from previous literature. This research provides a demonstration of the mechanism as well as a comparison with previous developments and theoretical knowledge. The results of this study hope to provide a foundation for future innovation in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design. Future research can focus on incorporating additional bird-like wings morphing into the glide-lock mechanism design and improving the efficiency of gliding flight configurations. Keywords: Flapping Wing; Avian-Inspired Aircraft; Mechanism Design; Robotics; Wing Kinematics

Source:

Purdue University / 2024

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Sota Yanagisawa