Collaborative Research: Investigating aerial maneuvers in bat flight using experiments, mathematical modeling, and robotic mimicry

蝙蝠以其空中杂技技巧而闻名，使它们能够在茂密的植被中机动，捕捉猎物，并寻找营养。完成这些功能需要蝙蝠控制，适应和协调他们的翅膀运动，身体姿势和内部行动，他们在空中从事。这个项目旨在了解蝙蝠如何掌握运动学，空气动力学和控制在这样复杂的空中行为的整合。 这将揭示生物学中潜在的流体动力学和运动学控制，并影响工程师在下一代多功能无人机中复制这种技术系统的能力。该项目的目标是通过综合实验和数学模型来了解蝙蝠的空中多任务。该项目将从两种不同的方法获得实验数据：蝙蝠在苛刻的飞行机动和行为多任务情况下的变形翅膀运动学将用一系列同步高速摄像机记录，并用深度学习方法进行处理。这些生物数据将通过仿生机器人系统的实验来补充，该系统将用于模仿蝙蝠的变形翅膀，并将用于探索比观察动物更大的参数空间。这将提供不同的运动模式的影响的见解。与此同时，将开发扑翼飞行的数学模型，以提取实验中看到的复杂机动中的关键物理。扑翼飞行的模拟将进一步阐明飞行的能量学和稳定性之间的权衡。在整个项目中，我们将积极传播我们的研究结果，以教育K-12学生和公众。由于蝙蝠实验将在文莱大学进行，该项目将使参与的本科生和研究生能够独特地接触婆罗洲雨林的杰出生物多样性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Bats are known for their aerial acrobatics skills that enable them to maneuver in dense vegetation, to catch preys, and find nutrients. Accomplishing these multitude of functions requires the bats to control, adapt, and coordinate their wing motions, body posture, and internal actions that they engage in while airborne. This project seeks to understand how bats master the integration of kinematics, aerodynamics, and control in such complex aerial behaviors. This would shed light on underlying fluid dynamics and kinematic controls in biology, and also impact the ability for engineers to replicate such abilities in technical systems in the next-generation multiple-functioning drones with flapping flight. The goal of the project is to understand aerial multi-tasking by bats based on comprehensive experiments and mathematical models. The project will obtain experimental data from two different approaches: The morphing wing kinematics of the bats during demanding flight maneuvers and behavioral multi-tasking situations will be recorded with an array of synchronized high-speed cameras and processed with deep learning methods. These biological data will be complemented by experiments with a biomimetic robotic system that will be implemented to mimic the bats' morphing wings and will be used to explore a larger parameter spaces than would be possible with observations of the animals. This will provide insights into the effects of different kinematic patterns. In parallel, mathematical models of flapping flight will be developed to extract the key physics in the sophisticated maneuvers seen the in the experiments. The simulation of flapping flight will further elucidate the trade-off between the energetics and stability of flight. Throughout the project, we will actively disseminate our findings to educate K-12 students and the general public. Since the bat experiments will be performed at the University of Brunei, the project will give participating undergraduate and graduate students unique exposure to the outstanding biodiversity of Borneo's rainforests.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.