MODELLING OF A FLAPPING-WING MICRO AERIAL VEHICLE

This paper explores flapping flight as an effective form of locomotion for unmanned micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). In this paper a dynamic model of a flapping MAV is developed. We focus on a MAV with very limited wing kinematics and simple input control schemes. In particular, we parameterize wing trajectory based on biomimetic principles, i.e. principles that are directly inspired by observation of real insect flight. Flapping flight is analyzed from three different perspectives: biological, technological and control perspectives. Three specific aerodynamic effects are shown as the cause of a lift gain at low Re (Reynold’s number): the circulation generated by the rotation of the wing at the end of a stroke, the delayed stall due to the instationnarity of the movement, and finally the wake capture, as the wing re-enters the flow it has previously disturbed.