Mechanism Design of a Bio-inspired Armwing Mechanism for Mimicking Bat Flapping Gait

TL;DR

This paper presents a bio-inspired design of an articulated armwing mimicking bat wings, aiming to enhance drone agility through flexible, rapid, and adaptive wing structures inspired by bat musculoskeletal systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel bio-inspired armwing mechanism based on bat wing anatomy, integrating flexible materials and articulated joints for improved drone maneuverability.

Findings

Designed a soft, articulated armwing structure inspired by bats

Demonstrated potential for enhanced drone agility and adaptability

Provides a foundation for future morphing aerial robot development

Abstract

The objective of this work is to design and develop a bio-inspired soft and articulated armwing structure which will be an integral component of a morphing aerial co-bot, Aerobat. In our design, we draw inspiration from bats. Bat membranous wings possess unique functions that make them a good example to take inspiration from and transform current aerial drones. In contrast with other flying vertebrates, bats have an extremely articulated musculoskeletal system, key to their body impact-survivability and deliver an impressively adaptive and multimodal locomotion behavior. Bats exclusively use this capability with structural flexibility to generate the controlled force distribution on each wing membrane. The wing flexibility, complex wing kinematics, and fast muscle actuation allow these creatures to change the body configuration within a few tens of milliseconds. These characteristics are crucial to the unrivaled agility of bats and copying them can potentially transform the state-of-the-art aerial drone design.