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Gull-inspired joint-driven wing morphing allows adaptive longitudinal flight control
C Harvey1, V B Baliga2, C D Goates3
1Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|June 8, 2021
Summary
Birds use joint-driven wing morphing for flight adaptability. This study shows gull-inspired joint morphing offers UAVs adaptive longitudinal flight control, enhancing maneuverability and enabling multifunctional designs.
Area of Science:
- Biomimetics and Aerospace Engineering
- Comparative Biomechanics
- Aerodynamics
Background:
- Birds dynamically adapt flight using joint-driven wing morphing for diverse aerial maneuvers.
- Current unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wings primarily morph in a single plane, unlike avian non-planar wing shapes.
- Avian joint-driven wing morphing offers a potential paradigm for advanced UAV control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the aerodynamic benefits of joint-driven wing morphing for UAVs.
- To quantify the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of gull-inspired wing-body configurations.
- To explore how joint motion trajectories influence flight control strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the MachUpX numerical lifting-line algorithm to compute aerodynamic loads.
- Validated aerodynamic models with wind tunnel tests on 3D-printed gull-wing models.
- Analyzed aerodynamic forces and moments across various joint (elbow, wrist) configurations.
Main Results:
- Joint-driven wing morphing effectively modulates lift, pitching moment, and static margin.
- Specific joint motion trajectories enable distinct longitudinal flight control strategies, decoupling stability from lift/moment generation.
- Musculoskeletal-inspired joint trajectories yielded the most significant aerodynamic property changes.
Conclusions:
- Gull-inspired joint-driven wing morphing provides adaptive longitudinal flight control for UAVs.
- This bio-inspired approach could lead to the development of multifunctional UAVs with enhanced agility.
- Further research into specific joint trajectories can optimize UAV performance and adaptability.
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