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Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Measuring the Flight Ability of the Ambrosia Beetle, Platypus Quercivorus Murayama, Using a Low-Cost, Small, and Easily Constructed Flight Mill
Published on: August 6, 2018
Review of insect-inspired wing micro air vehicle
Fa Song1, Yongwei Yan1, Jiyu Sun1
1Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education, China), Jilin University, Changchun, 130022, PR China.
Abstract:
Micro air vehicles (MAVs) have wide application prospects in environmental monitoring, disaster rescue and other civil fields because of their flexibility and maneuverability. Compared with fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) have higher energy utilization efficiency and lower cost and have attracted extensive attention from scientists. Insects have become excellent bionic objects for the study of FWMAVs due to their characteristics of low Reynolds number, low noise, hoverability, small size and light weight. By mimicking flying insects, it may be possible to create highly efficient biomimetic FWMAVs. In this paper, insect flight aerodynamics are reviewed, and the mechanism designs of insect-inspired FWMAVs and their aerodynamics are summarized, including the wing type effect, vibration characteristics and aerodynamic characteristics of the flapping wing.

