Bio Inspired Compliant Musculoskeletal Actuation for Wings and Fins of Miniature Robotic Systems
Abstract
Insects are superior flyers in comparison to miniature aerial robots and display exceptional maneuverability made possible through nimble wing actuation and articulation. How do insects achieve highly dexterous wing control to enable robust flight? The motor machinery used to oscillate wings is housed within the insects’ thorax and consists of muscles attached to the exoskeleton. In many insects, wing actuation occurs indirectly through coupling between muscle contractions and thorax deformations during the wing stroke. Identifying the salient mechanisms that mediate wing actuation through thorax deformation and its influence on wing kinematic parameters will improve our understanding of biological flight and offer opportunities to translate such novel strategies onto artificial platforms. This project will consider the entire motor control pathway starting from neural stimulation of the power muscles in insects to eventual aerodynamic force generation. Hawkmoths will be used as they are a preferred model because of their superior flight capabilities and they are amenable for experiments. We will use hawkmoths in free hovering and tethered flight preparations under different wind conditions to concomitantly measure wing kinematics, activation of the main wing elevator and depressor muscles and thorax deformation patterns with synchronized high speed videography, electromyography and laser profilometry. Links between the time resolved deformation profile of the thorax mesonotum and wing hinge structure in relation to the activation properties of the power muscles and its effect on flapping amplitude and frequency will be identified. These measurements will be combined with morphological data and material properties of thoracic components to build analytical models using finite element analysis. Computational models of the thorax and wing hinge will be used as basis to design and build phenomenologically similar flexible exoskeletons.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 14, 2022
- Source ID
- FA23861914066XX0
Entities
People
- Sridhar Ravi
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of New South Wales