A team of engineers has designed a new type of drone that flies using a set of four flapping wings.
The robots are based on designs found in nature and researchers say that this gives them greater agility compared to current drone models.
They looked at hummingbirds, swifts and insects such as dragonflies, studying the creatures’ biomechanics and aerodynamics.
They then reverse-engineered these elements to come up with machines they have dubbed ‘ornithopters’.
The engineers, from the University of South Australia, said that their design has the potential to outperform traditional drones, which use a combination of fixed wings and propellers.
The ornithopters use the flapping motion of their four wings to provide thrust.
The complex relationships between aerodynamics and the combination of wing movements can allow birds and insects to manoeuvre in ways that regular drones cannot.
This could include gliding, hovering and performing aerobatic manoeuvres, all with maximum levels of efficiency.
They can also switch modes smoothly, saving energy or improving performance by opting to hover or to fly like an aeroplane depending on the circumstances.
Ornithopters could outperform propeller drones in a number of ways
Current multi-rotor propeller drones are fine at hovering but do not tend to have much range as they use more energy flying forward.
Conversely, fixed-wing drones can move quickly and efficiently but cannot hover.
Hybrid drones with propellers and fixed wings are more versatile but do not perform as well in either mode due to issues such as weight and drag from the extra components.
The ornithopters are not the first drones to use flapping wings, but previous ones tended to be heavier and slower-moving, without the ability to quickly switch to sustained hovering or vertical travel.
The engineers built a number of innovations into their designs.
The wings use a ‘clap and cling’ effect, which means that they meet in the middle like hands clapping, providing extra thrust.
The hinge between the body and wing is able to store energy like a spring when the wings change direction.
The tail comprises both a rudder and an elevator, allowing for aggressive manoeuvring and sudden changes between horizontal and vertical motion.
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