W08(5) Biological Flapping Flight and Micro Air Vehicle

In this paper we give an overview of some novel mechanisms in insect-and bird-flight and their potential of applications to the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). Till now robotic flapper has been mostly responsible for study of insect/bird flapping wing mechanisms as in hovering flight but quick-turn like freely flapping flight keeps unknown. To provide an overall understanding of aerodynamic and dynamic mechanisms in flying insects and birds we have succeed in establishing a biology-inspired dynamic flight simulator as well as a robotic flapping model which is capable to mimic hovering, forward flight and quick-turn on a basis of modeling of realistic geometry and wing kinematics, and modeling of wing-body flight dynamics. It is expected that this simulator is capable to quantify and unveil the mechanisms in biological flapping flight and to provide some novel theories and technical innovations for research and development in the Micro Air Vehicles.