Savannah Nolen

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About

Savannah Nolen is a pioneering researcher in bio-inspired robotics and energy harvesting systems, with a primary focus on extending the flight endurance of flapping-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (ornithopters). Her most cited work, "Design, fabrication, and characterization of multifunctional wings to harvest solar energy in flapping wing air vehicles" (2015, 41 citations), addresses a critical bottleneck in robotic bird technology: the severe limitation of on-board energy storage. Nolen’s major contribution lies in demonstrating that flexible solar cells can be structurally integrated into wing membranes, effectively transforming a passive aerodynamic surface into an active energy-harvesting component without compromising flight performance. This multifunctional design approach—where structural, aerodynamic, and electrical functions are combined in a single material system—has become a foundational concept in the field of energy-autonomous micro air vehicles. Her work bridges materials science, aerodynamics, and electrical engineering, offering a practical pathway toward sustained, long-duration flight for small-scale drones. By showing that solar cells can serve as both structural and power-generating elements, Nolen has influenced subsequent research on self-sustaining robotic systems, making her a notable contributor to the next generation of environmentally adaptive, long-endurance aerial robots.