Monolithic compliant mechanism for flapping-wing micro air vehicle

• Main Author: Ricky Jonathan Tulolo.
• Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Robots; DRNTU::Engineering::Aeronautical engineering::Aircraft
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53981
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Insects hold tremendous and complex flight capability to perform remarkable flight with high agility and manoeuvrability. No man made attempts can produce the equal flight performance and thus, insects’ flight provides many research opportunities to be further explored. In this FYP, the energetics of flapping wing MAV is analysed with the objective of designing new prototype to give better performance. A compliant mechanism, consisted of tergum and joints, is developed as simplification of insect’s biological thorax. As suggested by previous FYP, crank-slider mechanism is used to actuate the flapping motion. In the earlier part of this report, simple designs are fabricated to have more insights on the variables available before moving on to the creation of new design. Principle of energy storage mechanism inside insect’s thorax is used more in development of the new monolithic prototype. Resonant drive to reduce average battery power consumption is being studied further through having comparison among different stiffness for the same design. Several performance indicators such as natural frequencies, stiffness, flapping angle, power consumption, and thrust produced are provided to help better in the comparison. At the end of this project, the monolithic design with 3 mil polyimide as compliant joint is chosen as the best prototype among others. Weighing only 3.394 grams in total, it is able to be efficiently driven by DC motor to achieve hovering condition at 26.60 Hz with the least power consumption of 1.10 watt, under driving voltage of 4.3 V.