Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Control of a Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle with Power and Control Actuators

Abstract

Flapping wing micro air vehicles have received a great deal of interest from the research community due to their potential to achieve insect-like maneuverability. The ability to mimic the flight behavior of insects could enable such a vehicle to perform missions which larger, fixed wing vehicles are unable to perform, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in urban environments and confined locations. The Harvard Microrobotics Lab developed the world’s first robotic insect capable of vertical takeoff. This vehicle used a single piezoelectric actuator to drive the motion of both wings symmetrically in order to generate average lift which exceeded the vehicle’s weight. There was no mechanism to produce body torques or forces in the horizontal or lateral directions. Upon extending this work, the Harvard Microrobotics Lab has modified this configuration to include not only a single power actuator, but also control actuators for each wing, with the goal of generating body torques. The power actuator provides the mechanical power for flapping, while the control actuators cause a small displacement of the wing root which changes the wing kinematics, such that pitch and yaw torques can be generated. This work utilizes the power