Wake Vectoring for Efficient Morphing Flight

TL;DR

This paper presents a passive wake vectoring mechanism integrated into a morphing aerial robot, recovering up to 40% of vertical thrust during shape change, thus enhancing stability and maneuverability without added complexity.

Contribution

Introduction of a passive wake vectoring system for morphing aerial robots that passively redirects rotor wake to recover thrust during shape reconfiguration.

Findings

Achieves up to 40% thrust recovery during morphing

Extends hover and maneuvering capabilities during transformation

Enables efficient, agile flight without additional mechanical parts

Abstract

Morphing aerial robots have the potential to transform autonomous flight, enabling navigation through cluttered environments, perching, and seamless transitions between aerial and terrestrial locomotion. Yet mid-flight reconfiguration presents a critical aerodynamic challenge: tilting propulsors to achieve shape change reduces vertical thrust, undermining stability and control authority. Here, we introduce a passive wake vectoring mechanism that recovers lost thrust during morphing. Integrated into a novel robotic system, Aerially Transforming Morphobot (ATMO), internal deflectors intercept and redirect rotor wake downward, passively steering airflow momentum that would otherwise be wasted. This electronics-free solution achieves up to a 40% recovery of vertical thrust in configurations where no useful thrust would otherwise be produced, substantially extending hover and maneuvering capabilities during transformation. Our findings highlight a new direction for morphing aerial robot design, where passive aerodynamic structures, inspired by thrust vectoring in rockets and aircraft, enable efficient, agile flight without added mechanical complexity.