Inertial Measurements from Flight Data of a Flapping-Wing Ornithopter

ORNITHOPTERS may be classified as aerodynes that generate lifting and thrusting forces from the flapping of wings. The miniaturization of electronics packages from advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and very-large-scale integration technologies, coupled with the manufacture of lightweight, composite materials, has facilitated the practical realization of small ornithoptic aircraft [1,2]. Although having their own set of drawbacks, flapping-wing designs enjoy numerous advantages over fixed-wing and rotary-wing counterparts at small scales and low Reynolds number flows. For example, fixed-wing aircraft are a natural choice for vehicle designs as their dynamics are well understood. However, these vehicles suffer from a decrease in aerodynamic efficiency as airfoils are scaled to the point where viscous effects become significant [3]. Miniature rotary-wing aircraft are maneuverable and can hover, but have large power requirements and are commonly limited to indoor flight [4]. In contrast, it is envisioned that the nimble flight exhibited by ornithopters can be harnessed to achieve agility and maneuverability on par with birds and insects. Smaller ornithopters can achieve hover, whereas larger ornithopters are robust enough to fly both slowly and quickly in outdoor environments against strong winds. Donning an avian appearance, ornithopters also have a degree of contextual camouflage, which makes them well suited for missions including surveillance, atmospheric data collection, crop surveying, wildlife population monitoring, and airport wildlife control.