Precision Stationary Flight of a Robotic Hummingbird

Abstract

This paper describes recent developments of a robotic hummingbird project, aimed at achieving precision stationary hovering. To this end, the early version of our flapping mechanism is modified which, besides being more efficient, reduces significantly the asymmetry of the wing trajectory of the previous version. A cascade control strategy is used to compensate for the residual parasitic torques and the misalignment of the lift vector and the autopilot.