High-throughput study of flapping wing aerodynamics for biological and robotic applications

Abstract

The design of flapping wing robots and the study of flapping wing flyers requires a detailed knowledge of how wings interact with the surrounding fluid. However, the unsteady nature of fluid-structure interactions during flapping wing flight render analytical design of wing shapes and motion kinematics difficult. We propose that flapping wing micro aerial vehicle (MAV) design will benefit from a complimentary, datadriven approach in which wing shape, material properties, and stroke-kinematics may be varied rapidly. Here, we present a high-throughput experimental apparatus for fabrication and optimization of MAV wings for flapping flight. This apparatus incorporates the collection and analysis of multiple sensor modalities including force, electrical power, resultant fluid flow, and wing kinematics into the experiment control loop. This “analysis-in-the-loop” methodology enables multivariate optimization routines for flapping flight of unmanned aerial vehicles. We demonstrate the validity of this approach through optimization experiments on wing kinematics, fluid flow, lift and power consumption.