Analysis and Testing of a Flyable Micro Flapping-Wing Rotor with a Highly Efficient Elastic Mechanism

A Flapping-Wing Rotor (FWR) is a novel bio-inspired micro aerial vehicle configuration, featuring unique wing motions which combine active flapping and passive rotation for high lift production. Power efficiency in flight has recently emerged as a critical factor in FWR development. The current study investigates an elastic flapping mechanism to improve FWRs’ power efficiency by incorporating springs into the system. The elastic force counteracts the system inertia to accelerate or decelerate the wing motion, reducing the power demand and increasing efficiency. A dynamic model was developed to simulate the unique kinematics of the FWR’s wing motions and its elastic mechanism, considering the coupling of aerodynamic and inertial forces generated by the wings, along with the elastic and driven forces from the mechanism. The effects of the spring stiffness on the aerodynamic performance and power efficiency were investigated. The model was then verified through experimental testing. When a spring stiffness close to the mechanical system resonance was applied, the power efficiency of the test model increased by 16% compared to the baseline model without springs, generating an equivalent average lift. With an optimal elastic flapping mechanism for greater lift and lower power consumption, the FWR was fully constructed with onboard power and a control receiver weighing 27.79 g, successfully achieving vertical take-off flight. The current model produces ten times greater lift and has nearly double the wing area of the first 2.6 g flyable FWR prototype.