Passive dynamics of high frequency bat wing flapping with an anisotropic membrane

Abstract

We investigate how unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with flexible wings can be designed to exploit the aeroelasticity of wing deformation that is present in bat wings, with a view to improve the efficiency of flight. We constructed a robotic bat wing with fully passive elastic wing-folding properties. The robotic wing is powered by a gearbox running two synchronised motors, effectively providing one degree of motion: the upstroke and down-stroke of the wing. Through numerical simulations and setup experiments, we observed that by integrating a span-wise elastic network into the bat wing, we were able to achieve passive wing-folding that mimics the 8-shape wing-folding seen in bats' high speed flight. This way, we were able to reduce the complexity and additional actuation associated with wing-folding in a robotic wing.