CAREER: Theory and Practices of Flapping Flight: From Biological to Robotic Insects

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AbstractThis research encompasses novel attempts in several research topics on flapping flight in insects and birds. The goal of this research is to a) quantitatively study the flight trajectory feasibility and stability observed in insects and birds; b) investigate the underlying principles that cause their flight stability and performance differences in order to develop a methodology and guideline for designing flapping wing micro-aerial vehicles; and c) design and fabricate flapping wing micro-aerial vehicles capable of stable and maneuverable flight with biomimetic sensors. Our previous study on the theory of nonlinear systems including harmonic balance and bifurcation methods will be utilized to conduct theoretical and mathematical modeling of flapping flight. We will verify our analysis using the free-flight measurements on the fruit fly and the experimental data from the current generation of fabricated Micromechanical Flying Insects (MFIs). Based on our analysis, we will develop guidelines to aid the design and fabrication of future MFIs and flapping wing micro-aerial vehicle in general, with the capability to ensure the flight feasibility and stability of the vehicle.The theories developed from this research will provide new understanding of the inherent flight stability and maneuverability present in insects and birds, and hopefully will lead to developing a new theory describing the underlying principles of the different flight phenomena observed in nature.The educational activities include incorporating research materials into graduate and undergraduate curricula, and the developed research and educational activities will be outreached to the K-12 students and teachers as well as underrepresented and women groups in Delaware through the University of Delaware's Design and Discovery summer camp for girls. Another broader impact of this program will be to create an Internet-based flapping flight gait simulator accessible to students and researchers to simulate and visualize realistic flight patterns of different insects and birds, given their morphological data.