Novel approaches to miniature flight platforms

Abstract

No other air vehicle design space has presented the mix of challenges as that of miniature flight platforms. By definition, these tiny platforms are unmanned and endeavor to invade the flight regime of birds and insects. In order to do so, the creators of these aerial robots must address the same physical design constraints that have already been mastered by the world of airborne biology, including low Reynolds number aerodynamics, high energy density and extreme miniaturization. This paper focuses on the high degree of innovation required to make practical miniaturized flying machines on the scale of small birds and insects.