Towards locust-inspired gliding wing prototypes for micro aerial vehicle applications

In aviation, gliding is the most economical mode of flight explicitly appreciated by natural fliers. They achieve it by high-performance wing structures evolved over millions of years in nature. Among other prehistoric beings, locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a perfect example of such natural glider capable of endured transatlantic flights that could inspire a practical solution to achieve similar capabilities on micro aerial vehicles. This study investigates the effects of haemolymph on the flexibility of several flying insect wings further showcasing the superior structural performance of locusts. However, biomimicry of such aerodynamic and structural properties is hindered by the limitations of modern as well as conventional fabrication technologies in terms of availability and precision, respectively. Therefore, here we adopt finite element analysis (FEA) to investigate the manufacturing-worthiness of a 3D digitally reconstructed locust tandem wing, and propose novel combinations of economical and readily-available manufacturing methods to develop the model into prototypes that are structurally similar to their counterparts in nature while maintaining the optimum gliding ratio previously obtained in the aerodynamic simulations. Latter is evaluated in the future study and the former is assessed here via an experimental analysis of the flexural stiffness and maximum deformation rate. Ultimately, a comparative study of the mechanical properties reveals the feasibility of each prototype for gliding micro aerial vehicle applications

Design and Development of a Bioinspired Gliding-optimised Tandem Wings for Micro Aerial Robots

Research on aerial robotics particularly the articulated/flapping wing robots have gained a remarkable attention during the recent years due to their agility and stealthiness in surveillance and reconnaissance missions. However, wing flapping is highly energy-intensive that can be complemented by gliding to conserve energy for long-range flights as demonstrated by desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria). Therefore, inspired by this insect we explore novel solutions in this thesis to address some of the challenging problems of aeronautics concerning development, fabrication, and aerodynamic optimisation of a bio-inspired glid�ing wing for micro aerial vehicle (MAV) applications. Initially, we investigate the aerofoil geometries (2D wings) of a locust by performing a pseudo-microscopic scanning of its wings in gliding posture. Using numerical analysis and a novel optimisation methodology based on Nash-Genetic Algorithms, we study and enhance the aerodynamic performance of the digitally reconstructed aerofoils. The optimised as well as the original aerofoils are integrated using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to form 3D wings that are subjected to a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, and a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to validate their aerodynamic performance and manufacturing-worthiness, respectively. Having established the required performance criteria numerically, a novel combination of fabrication techniques involving 3D printing, vacuum thermoforming, and laser trimming is proposed to realise the digital wings as artificial wing prototypes. Furthermore, we explore the novel Computer-Associated Design (CAsD) based on machine learning technology to obtain computer-generated wings for a detailed comparative study of the mechanical properties associated with each wing prototype designed by an engineer, a computer, and the nature