A parametric study of flapping wing performance using a robotic flapping wing

Abstract

Flapping wings have the potential to revolutionize the field of Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), however the effect of flapping motion on the performance of such wings has not been studied in detail. This paper presents a parametric study of flapping wing propulsion, using two types of passive flapping wings and three flapping motions. Each combination of wing type and flapping motion was tested over a range of amplitudes and frequencies ranging from 1.4-36deg and 5-50 Hz respectively. Wing performance was evaluated by measuring lift force and mechanical efficiency for all tests. The performance of Wing A was found to be significantly higher than Wing B, with up to twice the maximum lift and efficiency. Overall, Wing A with the triangular flapping motion was found to be the most suitable for MAVs. This research has the potential to significantly improve the performance of flapping wing propulsion, resulting in new capabilities and applications for MAVs.