Feb.
21, 2013 — The strong, flapping flight of bats offers great possibilities
for the design of small aircraft, among other applications. By building a
robotic bat wing, Brown researchers have uncovered flight secrets of real bats:
the function of ligaments, the elasticity of skin, the structural support of
musculature, skeletal flexibility, upstroke, downstroke.
Researchers
at Brown University have developed a robotic bat wing that is providing
valuable new information about dynamics of flapping flight in real bats.
 |
| (Credit: Breuer and Swartz labs/Brown University) |
The
robot, which mimics the wing shape and motion of the lesser dog-faced fruit
bat, is designed to flap while attached to a force transducer in a wind tunnel.
As the lifelike wing flaps, the force transducer records the aerodynamic forces
generated by the moving wing. By measuring the power output of the three servo
motors that control the robot's seven movable joints, researchers can evaluate
the energy required to execute wing movements.
Testing
showed the robot can match the basic flight parameters of bats, producing
enough thrust to overcome drag and enough lift to carry the weight of the model
species.
Wing
of bat in life and lab. A robotic bat wing lets researchers measure forces,
joint movements, and flight parameters — and learn more about how the real
thing operates in nature.
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