A Review of Biomimetic Air Vehicle Research: 1984-2014

Biomimetic air vehicles (BAV) are a class of unmanned aircraft that mimic the flapping wing kinematics of flying organisms (e.g. birds, bats, and insects). Research into BAV has rapidly expanded over the last 30 years. In this paper, we present a comprehensive bibliometric review of engineering and biology journal articles that were published on this subject between 1984 and 2014. These articles are organized into five topical categories: aerodynamics, guidance and control, mechanisms, structures and materials, and system design. All of the articles are compartmented into one of these categories based on their primary focus. Several aspects of these articles are examined: publication year, number of citations, journal, authoring organization and country, non-academic funding sources, and the flying organism focused upon for bio-mimicry. This review provides useful information on the state of the art of BAV research and insight on potential future directions. Our intention is that this will serve as a resource for those already engaged in BAV research and enable insight that promotes further research interest

Thermomechancial Characterization In A Radiant Energy Imager Using Null Switching

Thermomechanical noise for a MEMs-based infrared detector using null switching (US patent 7977635) depends on vibrational amplitude, since IR radiation is transduced to a change in the duty cycle of a repetitively closing switch. Equipartition theorem determines the maximum rms vibrational amplitude for the fabricated cantilever switch at its natural frequency. This determines the timing uncertainty, NEP, and NETD. We estimate NETD to fall in the range 0.13 - 1.5 K for a device with ~20 μm pitch. © 2014 SPIE

Vertical Electrostatic Force In Mems Cantilever Ir Sensor

A MEMS cantilever IR detector that repetitively lifts from the surface under the influence of a saw-tooth electrostatic force, where the contact duty cycle is a measure of the absorbed IR radiation, is analyzed. The design is comprised of three parallel conducting plates. Fixed buried and surface plates are held at opposite potential. A moveable cantilever is biased the same as the surface plate. Calculations based on energy methods with position-dependent capacity and electrostatic induction coefficients demonstrate the upward sign of the force on the cantilever and determine the force magnitude. 2D finite element method calculations of the local fields confirm the sign of the force and determine its distribution across the cantilever. The upward force is maximized when the surface plate is slightly larger than the other two. The electrostatic repulsion is compared with Casimir sticking force to determine the maximum useful contact area. MEMS devices were fabricated and the vertical displacement of the cantilever was observed in a number of experiments. The approach may be applied also to MEMS actuators and micromirrors. © 2014 SPIE