Design of "Figure-8" Spherical Motion Flapping Wing for Miniature UAV

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

8-30-2009

Publication Title

Proceedings of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers

Publisher

Information in Engineering Conference

First page number:

539

Last page number:

546

Abstract

Hummingbirds and some insects exhibit a “Figure-8” flapping motion, which allows them to undergo variety of maneuvers including hovering. It is therefore desirable to have miniature air vehicle (FWMAV) with this wing motion. This paper presents a design of a flapping-wing for FWMAV that can mimic “Figure-8” motion using a spherical four bar mechanism. In the proposed design, the wing is attached to a coupler point on the mechanism, which is driven by a DC servo motor. A prototype is fabricated to verify that the design objectives are met. Experimental testing was conducted to determine the validity of the design. The results indicate good correlation between model and experimental prototype.

Keywords

Airplanes – Wings – Design and construction; Design; Drone aircraft; Micro air vehicles; Motion; Unmanned aerial vehicles; Wings

Disciplines

Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics | Aeronautical Vehicles | Aerospace Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Language

English

Comments

Conference Held: San Diego, California, USA, August 30–September 2, 2009

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Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the item. Publisher policy does not allow archiving the final published version. If a post-print (author's peer-reviewed manuscript) is allowed and available, or publisher policy changes, the item will be deposited.

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