Motion analysis of small flapping robot for various design and control parameters

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the flight characteristics for various design and control parameters by motion analysis using both constructed hardwares and computational models. We have developed a small flapping robot for use as an observation system in hazardous environments. Here, we have focused on a butterfly design with a few degrees of freedom (DOFs) and a low flapping frequency as a flapping model and have constructed isometric hardware to achieve the same flight mechanism as that of a butterfly. In addition, we have developed a computational model for analyzing the body motion including the abdomen swinging and the wing deformation. Motion analysis using the hardware and software has clarified the flight mechanism of a butterfly, which involves the periodic control of the angle of attack and in which the flight trajectory depends on factors including the center of mass, the body structure, and the wing shape. In this study, we analyze the relationships among the trajectory of the center of mass, the transition of the angle of attack, the design parameter, i.e., the swept-forward wing angle, and the control parameter, i.e., the initial angle of attack, using both the constructed hardwares and the computational models. These results clarify the flight characteristics for the small butterfly-style flapping robot and establish its design methodology.