A Biologically-Inspired Flapping-Wing Air Vehicle With Active Folding-Wings

Abstract

Flapping-Wing Aerial Vehicles (FWAVs) offer unique advantages over traditional fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, including superior maneuverability, energy efficiency, and the capability to navigate through cluttered environments. These features make them highly promising for applications in reconnaissance, search, rescue, and exploration of confined spaces. However, many designs cannot morph or fold their wings, significantly restricting their adaptability during flight. Without active morphing, these vehicles struggle to optimize their wing configurations for different flight modes, reducing overall efficiency and agility. Additionally, many of them are designed with synchronized wing motions, preventing independent control of the left and right wings or variations in flapping amplitudes, which further limits their dynamic performance and maneuverability. To overcome these challenges, a biologically inspired FWAV, KRoSwan, featuring an active folding-wing mechanism, is developed. This system employs servo motors as direct-drive actuators, enabling simultaneous control of both flapping and folding motions. This novel approach significantly enhances the degrees of freedom in wing movement, granting improved agility and adaptability. The methodology involves designing the robotic platform, formulating its dynamic and aerodynamic models, and conducting extensive flight tests to validate its performance. This research advances the development of FWAVs by integrating active wing morphing and independent wing control, paving the way for more agile, adaptable, and efficient bio-inspired aerial robots.