Abstract:
An autonomous flapping wing aerial vehicle can have a vehicle body, a pair of flapping wings, tunable wing hinges, and elastic drive mechanisms. The tunable wing hinges can be coupled to the flapping wings. Each wing hinge can be constructed to deliver a force to a respective one of the flapping wings to alter end points of a stroke thereof. The elastic drive mechanisms can rotate the flapping wings about pivot points to produce the strokes of the flapping wings. The elastic drive mechanism can be driven at or near a resonance thereof. Alterations to the strokes of the flapping wings produced by the combined effect of the tunable wing hinges and the elastic drive mechanisms, operating in parallel, can provide steering control of the aerial vehicle.
Abstract:
An ornithopter includes a main wing mounted on a fuselage. The main wing includes a main spar extending outwardly from the fuselage, and a rib extending rearwardly from the main spar. The rib has an S-shaped camber.
Abstract:
Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
Abstract:
A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.
Abstract:
The wing flapping mechanism (100) includes a main frame (110), a pair of opposite wings (120) laterally projecting from the main frame (110), and a linkage arrangement to convert rotation of a motor (150) into a three-dimensional cyclic wing motion of each of the wings (120). The linkage arrangement includes torque-transmitting couplings extending from inside the main frame (110) into the wing structures (122) to transmit an alternating pivoting motion, created as a result of the rotation of the motor (150), to the distal end of a corresponding third torsion-responsive tube (140, 144′″). Each torque-transmitting coupling extends inside a shoulder joint (130), a first torsion-responsive tube (132, 144′), an elbow joint (134), a second torsion-responsive tube (136, 144″), a wrist joint (138) and the third torsion-responsive tube (140, 144′″) of the corresponding wing structure (122).
Abstract:
Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a wing for generating lift and comprises a trailing edge, a leading edge, an inner end, an outer end, a top surface and a bottom surface. The wing comprises an aerofoil with a chord line and a span direction. The leading edge comprises a kink between the inner end and the outer end. The leading edge comprises a forward sweep part between the inner end and the kink extending towards the kink presenting an angle relative to the span direction. The leading edge comprises a backward sweep part between the kink and the outer end extending from the kink presenting an angle relative to the span direction. The top surface comprises a flow control means for controlling the lift at least partly located between a leading edge part between the kink and the outer end and located between the leading edge and the trailing edge.
Abstract:
Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
Abstract:
A passively torque-balanced device includes (a) a frame; (b) a drivetrain including a drive actuator mounted to the frame and configured for reciprocating displacement, an input platform configured for displacement by the drive actuator, a plurality of rigid links, including a proximate link and remote links, wherein the rigid links are collectively mounted to the frame, and a plurality of joints joining the rigid links and providing a plurality of non-fully actuated degrees of freedom for displacement of the rigid links, the plurality of joints including a fulcrum joint that is joined both to the input platform and to the proximate rigid link; and (c) at least two end effectors respectively coupled with the remote links and configured for displacement without full actuation.
Abstract:
A resonance engine is disclosed comprising: a driver plate (12), to which is coupled at least one oscillatory transducer (14); a drive signal generator connected to the oscillatory transducer for excitation thereof; a first spring-mass resonator, having a first natural resonant frequency, with a proximal end attached to the driver plate (12) and a free distal end; and a reaction means attached to the driver plate substantially opposite to the first spring-mass resonator. When the oscillatory transducer (14) is excited by a drive signal from the generator having a component at or close to said natural resonant frequency, the first spring-mass resonator oscillates at resonance, substantially in anti-phase to the driver plate (12).Small vibrational strains in the oscillatory transducer (14) are converted to large strains of controllable kinematic movements.The resonance engine has particular application for nano air vehicles (10-10f), wherein at least one spring-mass resonator is fitted with a wing (RD, LD) capable of producing thrust by flapping in an insect like kinematic manner suitable for flight. Where additional spring-mass resonators are added to the engine, each may be fitted with a wing. Each different spring-mass resonator may be tuned to have a different natural resonant frequency (when measured in isolation), whereby flight may be controlled by adjusting the drive signal; at particular drive frequencies, certain of the resonators may resonate in preference to others, thereby increasing lift from the associated wings, and controlling flight. The wings may face in opposite directions in order to produce rotational flight.Further closely tuned spring-mass resonators that are tuned on a substantially different frequency band to the wing resonators can be added as legs for independently controllable terrestrial or aerial locomotion.