Wind Tunnel Experimental Study on the Flight Parameters of a Bio-Inspired Bat-like Flapping-Wing Robot

Abstract

With the in-depth study of the unique flight ability of bats in the field of bionic robots, wind-tunnel experiments have become an important means to verify the feasibility of bat-like flying robot structures. However, due to the complex structure of a bat’s flexible wing membrane and multi-joint linkage, there is still a significant gap in the systematic experimental study of its flightability. In this study, a remote-controlled bionic prototype was designed and manufactured for the bat-like flapping-wing flying robot, and the changes in wing flight performance at different flapping frequencies (1–3.5 Hz) and angles of attack (0–15°) were tested in a low-speed (2–6 m/s) wind tunnel experiment. Six flight parameters were obtained through experiments. It was found that the flight performance of the prototype was successfully verified under a specific flapping frequency, angle of attack, and flight speed. This result not only determines the optimal flight parameter combination under the model, but also reveals the key influence of the flexible deformation of the wing membrane and the flapping frequency on the flight performance, which provides a key experimental basis for the structural optimization and control strategy design of the bat-like flapping-wing robot.

Keywords

• bat-like robot
• wind-tunnel experiment
• flight parameters
• flight performance