Micro air vehicle-motivated computational biomechanics in bio-flights:aerodynamics,flight dynamics and maneuvering stability

Aiming at developing an effective tool to unveil key mechanisms in bio-flight as well as to provide guidelines for bio-inspired micro air vehicles（MAVs） design,we propose a comprehensive computational framework,which integrates aerodynamics,flight dynamics,vehicle stability and maneuverability.This framework consists of（1） a Navier-Stokes unsteady aerodynamic model;（2） a linear finite element model for structural dynamics;（3） a fluidstructure interaction（FSI） model for coupled flexible wing aerodynamics aeroelasticity;（4） a free-flying rigid body dynamic（RBD） model utilizing the Newtonian-Euler equations of 6DoF motion;and（5） flight simulator accounting for realistic wing-body morphology,flapping-wing and body kinematics,and a coupling model accounting for the nonlinear 6DoF flight dynamics and stability of insect flapping flight.Results are presented based on hovering aerodynamics with rigid and flexible wings of hawkmoth and fruitfly.The present approach can support systematic analyses of bio- and bio-inspired flight.

Model Identification of a Micro Air Vehicle

This paper is focused on the model identification of a Micro Air Vehicle （MAV） in straight steady flight condition. The identification is based on input-output data collected from flight tests using both frequency and time dorrtain techniques. The vehicle is an in-house 40 cm wingspan airplane. Because of the complex coupled, multivariable and nonlinear dynamics of the aircraft, linear SISO structures for both the lateral and longitudinal models around a reference state were derived. The aim of the identification is to provide models that can be used in future development of control techniques for the MAV.

Human Memory/Learning Inspired Control Method for Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles

The problem of flapping motion control of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) with flapping wings was studied in this paper.Based upon the knowledge of skeletal and muscular components of hummingbird, a dynamic model for flapping wing wasdeveloped.A control scheme inspired by human memory and learning concept was constructed for wing motion control ofMAVs.The salient feature of the proposed control lies in its capabilities to improve the control performance by learning fromexperience and observation on its current and past behaviors, without the need for system dynamic information.Furthermore,the overall control scheme has a fairly simple structure and demands little online computations, making it attractive for real-timeimplementation on MAVs.Both theoretical analysis and computer simulation confirms its effectiveness.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting from morphing wing motions for micro air vehicles

Wing flapping and morphing can be very beneficial to managing the weight of micro air vehicles through coupling the aerodynamic forces with stability and control. In this letter, harvesting energy from the wing morphing is studied to power cameras, sensors, or communication devices of micro air vehicles and to aid in the management of their power. The aerodynamic loads on flapping wings are simulated using a three-dimensional unsteady vortex lattice method. Active wing shape morphing is considered to enhance the performance of the flapping motion. A gradient-based optimization algorithm is used to pinpoint the optimal kinematics maximizing the propellent efficiency. To benefit from the wing deformation, we place piezoelectric layers near the wing roots. Gauss law is used to estimate the electrical harvested power. We demonstrate that enough power can be generated to operate a camera. Numerical analysis shows the feasibility of exploiting wing morphing to harvest energy and improving the design and performance of micro air vehicles.

Low-Power Operational Amplifier for Real-Time Signal Processing System of Micro Air Vehicle

A low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor（CMOS） operational amplifier （op-amp） for real-time signal processing of micro air vehicle （MAV） is designed in this paper.Traditional folded cascode architecture with positive channel metal oxide semiconductor（PMOS） differential input transistors and sub-threshold technology are applied under the low supply voltage.Simulation results show that this amplifier has significantly low power,while maintaining almost the same gain,bandwidth and other key performances.The power required is only 0.12 mW,which is applicable to low-power and low-voltage real-time signal acquisition and processing system.

Passive attitude stabilization of ionic-wind-powered micro air vehicles

The ionic-wind-powered Micro Air Vehicles(MAVs)can achieve a higher thrust-toweight ratio than other MAVs.However,this kind of MAV has not yet achieved controlled flight because of the unstable thrust produced by the ionic wind and the dynamic instability related to the small size.In this paper,a passive attitude stabilization method of the ionic-wind-powered MAV using air dampers is introduced.The key factors that influence the performance of the air dampers,including the layout,position,and area of the air dampers,are theoretically studied.The appropriate optimal position of the air dampers is also obtained by Monte Carlo stochastic simulations.Then the proposed passive attitude stabilization method is applied to the ionic-wind-powered MAVs of different wingspan(2 cm and 6.3 cm).Finally,the experimental results show that using the proposed method,attitude stabilization is achieved for the first time for the ionic-wind-powered MAV.Moreover,the altitude control of an ionic-wind-powered MAV with a wingspan of 6.3 cm is also demonstrated.

An experimental study of elastic properties of dragonfly-like flapping wings for use in biomimetic micro air vehicles(BMAVs)

This article studies the elastic properties of several biomimetic micro air vehicle（BMAV）wings that are based on a dragonfly wing.BMAVs are a new class of unmanned micro-sized air vehicles that mimic the flapping wing motion of flying biological organisms（e.g.,insects,birds,and bats）.Three structurally identical wings were fabricated using different materials：acrylonitrile butadiene styrene（ABS）,polylactic acid（PLA）,and acrylic.Simplified wing frame structures were fabricated from these materials and then a nanocomposite film was adhered to them which mimics the membrane of an actual dragonfly.These wings were then attached to an electromagnetic actuator and passively flapped at frequencies of 10-250 Hz.A three-dimensional high frame rate imaging system was used to capture the flapping motions of these wings at a resolution of 320 pixels x 240 pixels and 35000 frames per second.The maximum bending angle,maximum wing tip deflection,maximum wing tip twist angle,and wing tip twist speed of each wing were measured and compared to each other and the actual dragonfly wing.The results show that the ABS wing has considerable flexibility in the chordwise direction,whereas the PLA and acrylic wings show better conformity to an actual dragonfly wing in the spanwise direction.Past studies have shown that the aerodynamic performance of a BMAV flapping wing is enhanced if its chordwise flexibility is increased and its spanwise flexibility is reduced.Therefore,the ABS wing（fabricated using a 3D printer） shows the most promising results for future applications.

Generation of Control Moments in an Insect-like Tailless Flapping-wing Micro Air Vehicle by Changing the Stroke-plane Angle

We propose a control moment generator to control the attitude of an insect-like tailless Flapping-wing Micro Air Vehicle （FW-MAV）, where the flapping wings simultaneously produce the flight force and control moments. The generator tilts the stroke plane of each wing independently to direct the resultant aerodynamic force in the desired direction to ultimately generate pitch and yaw moments. A roll moment is produced by an additional mechanism that shifts the trailing edge, which changes the wing rotation angles of the two flapping wings and produces an asymmetric thrust. Images of the flapping wings are captured with a high-speed camera and clearly show that the FW-MAV can independently change the stroke planes of its two wings. The measured force and moment data prove that the control moment generator produces reasonable pitch and yaw moments by tilting the stroke plane and realizes a roll moment by shifting the position of the trailing edge at the wing root.

Structural Characteristics of Allomyrina Dichotoma Beetle＇s Hind Wings for Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle

In this study, we present a complete structural analysis ofAllomyrina dichotoma beetle＇s hind wings by investigating their static and dynamic characteristics. The wing was subjected to the static loading to determine its overall flexural stiffness. Dy- namic characteristics such as natural frequency, mode shape, and damping ratio of vibration modes in the operating frequency range were determined using a Bruel ＆ Kjaer fast Fourier transform analyzer along with a laser sensor. The static and dynamic characteristics of natural Allomyrina dichotoma beetle＇s hind wings were compared to those of a fabricated artificial wing. The results indicate that natural frequencies of the natural wing were significantly correlated to the wing surface area density that was defined as the wing mass divided by the hind wing surface area. Moreover, the bending behaviors of the natural wing and artificial wing were similar to that of a cantilever beam. Furthermore, the flexural stiffness of the artificial wing was a little higher than that of the natural one whereas the natural frequency of the natural wing was close to that of the artificial wing. These results provide important information for the biomimetic design of insect-scale artificial wings, with which highly ma- neuverable and efficient micro air vehicles can be designed.

Design and Aerodynamic Analysis of Dragonfly-like Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle

Dragonflies have naturally high flying ability and flight maneuverability,making them more adaptable to harsh ecological environments.In this paper,a flapping wing bionic air vehicle with three-degrees-of-freedom is designed and manufactured by simulating the flight mode of dragonfly.Firstly,the body structure of dragonfly was analyzed,and then the design scheme of flapping wing micro air vehicle was proposed based on the flight motion characteristics and musculoskeletal system of dragonfly.By optimizing the configuration and using Adams to do kinematic simulation,it is shown that the designed structure can make the wings move in an“8”shape trajectory,and the motion in three directions can maintain good consistency,with good dynamic performance.Based on CFD simulation method,we analyzed that the wing has the conditions to achieve flight with good aerodynamic performance at the incoming flow speed of 5 m s^(-1)and frequency of 4 Hz,and studied the effects of angle of attack and flutter frequency on the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft.Finally,the force measurement test of the aircraft prototype is carried out using a force balance and a small wind tunnel.The test results show that the prototype can provide the average lift of 3.62 N and the average thrust of 2.54 N,which are in good agreement with the simulation results.

Kinematic and Aerodynamic Modelling of Bi- and Quad-Wing Flapping Wing Micro-Air-Vehicle

A generic approach to model the kinematics and aerodynamics of flapping wing ornithopter has been followed, to model and analyze a flapping bi- and quad-wing ornithopter and to mimic flapping wing biosystems to produce lift and thrust for hovering and forward flight. Considerations are given to the motion of a rigid and thin bi-wing and quad-wing ornithopter in flapping and pitching motion with phase lag. Basic Unsteady Aerodynamic Approach incorporating salient features of viscous effect and leading-edge suction are utilized. Parametric study is carried out to reveal the aerodynamic characteristics of flapping bi- and quad-wing ornithopter flight characteristics and for comparative analysis with various selected simple models in the literature, in an effort to develop a flapping bi- and quad-wing ornithopter models. In spite of their simplicity, results obtained for both models are able to reveal the mechanism of lift and thrust, and compare well with other work.

An Improved Evolvable Oscillator and Basis Function Set for Control of an Insect-Scale Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle

This paper introduces an improved evolvable and adaptive hardware oscillator design capable of supporting adaptation intended to restore control precision in damaged or imperfectly manufactured insect-scale flapping-wing micro air vehicles. It will also present preliminary experimental results demonstrating that previously used basis function sets may have been too large and that significantly improved learning times may be achieved by judiciously culling the oscillator search space. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the application of this adaptive, evolvable oscillator to full vehicle control as well as the consideration of longer term goals and requirements.

Computational aerodynamics of low Reynolds number plunging,pitching and flexible wings for MAV applications

Micro air vehicles （MAV＇s） have the potential to revolutionize our sensing and information gathering capabilities in environmental monitoring and homeland security areas. Due to the MAV＇s＇ small size, flight regime, and modes of operation, significant scientific advancement will be needed to create this revolutionary capability. Aerodynamics, structural dynamics, and flight dynamics of natural flyers intersects with some of the richest problems in MAV＇s, inclu- ding massively unsteady three-dimensional separation, transition in boundary layers and shear layers, vortical flows and bluff body flows, unsteady flight environment, aeroelasticity, and nonlinear and adaptive control are just a few examples. A challenge is that the scaling of both fluid dynamics and structural dynamics between smaller natural flyer and practical flying hardware/lab experiment （larger dimension） is fundamentally difficult. In this paper, we offer an overview of the challenges and issues, along with sample results illustrating some of the efforts made from a computational modeling angle.

The effect of phase angle and wing spacing on tandem flapping wings

In a tandem wing configuration, the hindwing of- ten operates in the wake of the forewing and, hence, its per- formance is affected by the vortices shed by the forewing. Changes in the phase angle between the flapping motions of the fore and the hind wings, as well as the spacing between them, can affect the resulting vortex/wing and vortex/vortex interactions. This study uses 2D numerical simulations to in- vestigate how these changes affect the leading dege vortexes （LEV） generated by the hindwing and the resulting effect on the lift and thrust coefficients as well as the efficiencies. The tandem wing configuration was simulated using an incom- pressible Navier-Stokes solver at a chord-based Reynolds number of 5 000. A harmonic single frequency sinusoidal oscillation consisting of a combined pitch and plunge motion was used for the flapping wing kinematics at a Strouhal num- ber of 0.3. Four different spacings ranging from 0.1 chords to 1 chord were tested at three different phase angles, 0°, 90° and 180°. It was found that changes in the spacing and phase angle affected the timing of the interaction between the vor- tex shed from the forewing and the hindwing. Such an inter- action affects the LEV formation on the hindwing and results in changes in aerodynamic force production and efficiencies of the hindwing. It is also observed that changing the phase angle has a similar effect as changing the spacing. The re- suits further show that at different spacings the peak force generation occurs at different phase angles, as do the peak efficiencies.

Aerodynamic performance of hovering micro revolving wings in ground and ceiling effects at low Reynolds number

Numerous investigations have been conducted to understand the wall effects on rotors.The purpose of this study is to further investigate the aerodynamic performance of revolving wings,especially when it is very close to the ground and ceiling(i.e.,less than half the wingspan)at low Reynolds numbers.Hence,the ground and ceiling effect for hovering micro revolving wings at low Reynolds numbers are investigated by improving the theoretical models.The theoretical model for the ground effect is established based on the wall-jet assumption,and that for the ceiling effect is improved by considering the uneven spanwise distribution of induced velocity.These two models are validated by comparing the results of experiments and CFD simulations with the Lattice-Boltzmann Method(LBM).Both ground and ceiling effects are found helpful to enhance the thrust,especially with small wing-wall distances,by making a difference to the induced velocity and the pressure distribution.By comparing the thrust generation and aerodynamic efficiency between the ground and ceiling effects,the former is found more helpful to the thrust augmentation,and the latter is more beneficial for the aerodynamic efficiency promotion.

Unsteady Aerodynamic Forces and Power Consumption of a Micro Flapping Rotary Wing in Hovering Flight

The micro Flapping Rotary Wing （FRW） concept inspired by insects was proposed recently. Its aerodynamic performance is highly related to wing pitching and rotational motions. Therefore, the effect of wing pitching kinematics and rotational speed on unsteady aerodynamic forces and power consumption of a FRW in hovering flight is further studied in this paper using computational fluid dy- namics method. Considering a fixed pitching amplitude （i.e., 80°）, the vertical force of FRW increases with the downstroke angle of attack and is enhanced by high wing rotational speed. However, a high downstroke angle of attack is not beneficial for acquiring high rotational speed, in which peak vertical force at balance status （i.e., average rotational moment equals zero.） is only acquired at a comparatively small negative downstroke angle of attack. The releasing constraint of pitching amplitude, high rotational speed and enhanced balanced vertical force can be acquired by selecting small pitching amplitude despite high power consumption. To confirm which wing layout is more power efficient for a certain vertical force requirement, the power consumed by FRW is compared with the Rotary Wing （RW） and the Flapping Wing （FW） while considering two angle of attack strategies without the Reynolds number （Re） constraint. FRW and RW are the most power efficient layouts when the target vertical force is produced at an angle of attack that corresponds to the maximum vertical force coefficient and power efficiency, respectively. However, RW is the most power efficient layout overall despite its insufficient vertical force production capability under a certain Re.

Review on bio-inspired flight systems and bionic aerodynamics

Humans’initial desire for flight stems from the imitation of flying creatures in nature.The excellent flight performance of flying animals will inevitably become a source of inspiration for researchers.Bio-inspired flight systems have become one of the most exciting disruptive aviation technologies.This review is focused on the recent progresses in bio-inspired flight systems and bionic aerodynamics.First,the development path of Biomimetic Air Vehicles(BAVs)for bio-inspired flight systems and the latest mimetic progress are summarized.The advances of the flight principles of several natural creatures are then introduced,from the perspective of bionic aerodynamics.Finally,several new challenges of bionic aerodynamics are proposed for the autonomy and intelligent development trend of the bio-inspired smart aircraft.This review will provide an important insight in designing new biomimetic air vehicles.

Automated Kinematics Measurement and Aerodynamics of a Bioinspired Flapping Rotary Wing

A physical model for a micro air vehicle with Flapping Rotary Wings （FRW） is investigated by measuring the wing kine- matics in trim conditions and computing the corresponding aerodynamic force using computational fluid dynamics. In order to capture the motion image and reconstruct the positions and orientations of the wing, the photogrammetric method is adopted and a method for automated recognition of the marked points is developed. The characteristics of the realistic wing kinematics are presented. The results show that the non-dimensional rotating speed is a linear function of non-dimensional flapping frequency regardless of the initial angles of attack. Moreover, the effects of wing kinematics on aerodynamic force production and the underlying mechanism are analyzed. The results show that the wing passive pitching caused by elastic deformation can sig- nificantly enhance lift production. The Strouhal number of the FRW is much higher than that of general flapping wings, indi- cating the stronger unsteadiness of flows in FRW.

Optimization of aerodynamic efficiency for twist morphing MAV wing

Twist morphing （TM） is a practical control technique in micro air vehicle （MAV） flight. However, TM wing has a lower aerodynamic efficiency （CL/CD） compared to membrane and rigid wing. This is due to massive drag penalty created on TM wing, which had overwhelmed the succes- sive increase in its lift generation. Therefore, further CL/CDmax optimization on TM wing is needed to obtain the optimal condition for the morphing wing configuration. In this paper, two-way fluid- structure interaction （FSI） simulation and wind tunnel testing method are used to solve and study the basic wing aerodynamic performance over （non-optimal） TM, membrane and rigid wings. Then, a multifidelity data metamodel based design optimization （MBDO） process is adopted based on the Ansys-DesignXplorer frameworks. In the adaptive MBDO process, Kriging metamodel is used to construct the final multifidelity CL/CD responses by utilizing 23 multi-fidelity sample points from the FSI simulation and experimental data. The optimization results show that the optimal TM wing configuration is able to produce better CL/CDmax magnitude by at least 2% than the non-optimal TM wings. The flow structure formation reveals that low TV strength on the optimal TM wing induces low CD generation which in turn improves its overall CL/CDmax performance.

The Role of Soft Vein Joints in Dragonfly Flight

Dragonflies are excellent flyers among insects and their flight ability is closely related to the architecture and material properties of their wings. The veins are main structure components of a dragonfly wing, which are found to be connected by resilin with high elasticity at some joints. A three-dimensional （3D） finite element model of dragonfly wing considering the soft vein joints is developed, with some simplifications. Passive deformation under aerodynamic loads and active flapping motion of the wing are both studied. The functions of soft vein joints in dragonfly flight are concluded. In passive deformation, the chordwise flexibility is improved by soft vein joints and the wing is cambered under loads, increasing the action area with air. In active flapping, the wing rigidity in spanwise direction is maintained to achieve the required amplitude. As a result, both the passive deformation and the active control of flapping work well in dragonfly flight. The present study may also inspire the design of biomimetic Flapping Micro Air Vehicles （FMAVs）.