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How flight feathers stick together to form a continuous morphing wing.
Laura Y Matloff1, Eric Chang1, Teresa J Feo2,3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 18, 2020
Summary
Birds
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Bio-inspired engineering
- Aerodynamics
Background:
- Birds exhibit remarkable wing morphing capabilities, unlike fixed-wing aircraft.
- Feather overlap and connective tissue elasticity are key to avian wing planform changes.
- Microscopic feather structures create a unique "directional Velcro" mechanism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the passive mechanisms enabling bird wing morphing and robustness.
- To analyze the function of feather microstructures in preventing gaps during wing extension and flexion.
- To explore the potential of these biological principles for designing morphing aircraft.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of feather overlap and connective tissue compliance in avian wings.
- Microscopic examination of feather microstructures, identifying "directional Velcro" features.
- Testing a feathered biohybrid aerial robot to demonstrate morphing wing function and robustness.
Main Results:
- Elastic compliance passively redistributes feathers during wing morphing.
- "Directional Velcro" microstructures (lobate cilia and hooked rami) probabilistically lock to prevent gaps during extension and unlock during flexion.
- Morphing wings demonstrated robustness to turbulence in biohybrid robot tests.
- Hooked microstructures are present in most bird species, absent in silent fliers.
Conclusions:
- Passive elastic compliance and "directional Velcro" feather microstructures are crucial for robust avian wing morphing.
- These biological mechanisms offer a blueprint for developing advanced morphing aircraft.
- The absence of these structures in silent fliers correlates with their lack of noise, suggesting functional specialization.
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