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Folding in and out: passive morphing in flapping wings.

Amanda K Stowers1, David Lentink

  • 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

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This study introduces a passive wing morphing mechanism for flapping wings, inspired by bats and birds. Centrifugal forces during flapping cause wings to unfold, enabling robots to navigate obstacles efficiently.

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Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Bio-inspired Engineering
  • Aerodynamics

Background:

  • Passive morphing in flapping wings is crucial for maneuverability and energy efficiency.
  • Existing designs often require complex actuation systems for wing shape changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and analyze a novel passive wing unfolding mechanism for flapping wings.
  • To investigate the dynamics and efficiency of this passive morphing system.
  • To explore its potential applications in bio-inspired robotics and flight.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a robotic flapping wing model with an unactuated hand wing and wrist joint.
  • Conducted kinematic measurements using stereo high-speed cameras at varying frequencies and fold ratios.
  • Created a computer model based on rigid body dynamics, contact models, and aerodynamic correlations.

Main Results:

  • Wings passively unfold within 1-2 flaps due to centrifugal acceleration induced by flapping.
  • Passive unfolding time is weakly dependent on flapping frequency and can be reduced by increasing flapping amplitude.
  • The mechanism allows wings to withstand impacts by folding and unfolding passively, aiding navigation through clutter.

Conclusions:

  • Passive unfolding driven by centrifugal acceleration is effective within approximately one wingbeat for various wing sizes.
  • This mechanism offers a simpler, potentially more energy-efficient, and lighter alternative for morphing wings in flapping robots.
  • The findings suggest similar inertia-driven, metabolically efficient strategies may be employed by bats and birds for wing morphing.