Next Article in Journal
Parametric Study and Experimental Investigations of a Single Crank–Slotted Dual Lever Mechanism for MAV Flapping Actuation
Next Article in Special Issue
Starling-Behavior-Inspired Flocking Control of Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarm in Complex Environments with Dynamic Obstacles
Previous Article in Journal
Itraconazole and Difluorinated-Curcumin Containing Chitosan Nanoparticle Loaded Hydrogel for Amelioration of Onychomycosis
Previous Article in Special Issue
Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based End-to-End Control for UAV Dynamic Target Tracking
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Modeling and Analysis of a Simple Flexible Wing—Thorax System in Flapping-Wing Insects

Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, 220 Roberts Hall, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biomimetics 2022, 7(4), 207; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040207
Submission received: 28 September 2022 / Revised: 15 November 2022 / Accepted: 17 November 2022 / Published: 21 November 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bio-Inspired Flight Systems and Bionic Aerodynamics)

Abstract

Small-scale flapping-wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) are an emerging robotic technology with many applications in areas including infrastructure monitoring and remote sensing. However, challenges such as inefficient energetics and decreased payload capacity preclude the useful implementation of FWMAVs. Insects serve as inspiration to FWMAV design owing to their energy efficiency, maneuverability, and capacity to hover. Still, the biomechanics of insects remain challenging to model, thereby limiting the translational design insights we can gather from their flight. In particular, it is not well-understood how wing flexibility impacts the energy requirements of flapping flight. In this work, we developed a simple model of an insect drive train consisting of a compliant thorax coupled to a flexible wing flapping with single-degree-of-freedom rotation in a fluid environment. We applied this model to quantify the energy required to actuate a flapping wing system with parameters based off a hawkmoth Manduca sexta. Despite its simplifications, the model predicts thorax displacement, wingtip deflection and peak aerodynamic force in proximity to what has been measured experimentally in flying moths. We found a flapping system with flexible wings requires 20% less energy than a flapping system with rigid wings while maintaining similar aerodynamic performance. Passive wing deformation increases the effective angle of rotation of the flexible wing, thereby reducing the maximum rotation angle at the base of the wing. We investigated the sensitivity of these results to parameter deviations and found that the energetic savings conferred by the flexible wing are robust over a wide range of parameters.
Keywords: insect flight; flapping-wing micro air vehicles; multi-body dynamics; structural mechanics; aerodynamics insect flight; flapping-wing micro air vehicles; multi-body dynamics; structural mechanics; aerodynamics

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Cote, B.; Weston, S.; Jankauski, M. Modeling and Analysis of a Simple Flexible Wing—Thorax System in Flapping-Wing Insects. Biomimetics 2022, 7, 207. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040207

AMA Style

Cote B, Weston S, Jankauski M. Modeling and Analysis of a Simple Flexible Wing—Thorax System in Flapping-Wing Insects. Biomimetics. 2022; 7(4):207. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040207

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cote, Braden, Samuel Weston, and Mark Jankauski. 2022. "Modeling and Analysis of a Simple Flexible Wing—Thorax System in Flapping-Wing Insects" Biomimetics 7, no. 4: 207. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040207

APA Style

Cote, B., Weston, S., & Jankauski, M. (2022). Modeling and Analysis of a Simple Flexible Wing—Thorax System in Flapping-Wing Insects. Biomimetics, 7(4), 207. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040207

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop