Exploring the wing dynamics of flying animal species has led to the development of innovative flying robotic systems. While birds and bats rely on their pectoral and wing muscles to flap their wings, the wing movements of many insects, especially beetles, remain poorly understood. Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland) and Konkuk University (South Korea) recently conducted a study to investigate how rhinoceros beetles deploy and retract their wings. Their findings, published in Nature, served as the basis for a new flapping microrobot that mimics the passive wing deployment of beetles.
Beetles, particularly rhinoceros beetles, have hindwings that resemble foldable origami structures. These wings can be neatly folded and stowed under the elytra while the beetle is at rest, and then passively deployed during flight. Previous studies that aimed to replicate beetle wing dynamics in robots focused on the origami-like structure of the wings without considering movements at the wing base. The researchers discovered that the hindwings of beetles can be passively deployed for flight and retracted after landing, utilizing their elytra and flapping forces without the need for active thoracic muscles.
The Development of a Flapping Microrobot
Building on their observations of beetle wing deployment, the researchers developed a flapping microrobot that weighs 18 grams. This robot, which is approximately twice the size of an actual beetle, can passively deploy and retract its wings using elastic tendons at the armpits. By activating flapping motion, the robot can take off and maintain stable flight, and then retract its wings passively after landing. The insights gained from studying beetle wing deployment have led to the development of a microrobot that closely mimics insect flight mechanisms.
The researchers believe that their flapping microrobot with foldable wings has various practical applications. It can be used for search and rescue missions in confined spaces, where it can access areas that humans cannot reach. The robot’s ability to fly into narrow spaces and switch to crawling mode when necessary makes it versatile for different scenarios. Additionally, the microrobot could assist biologists in studying insect biomechanics and serve as a tool for engineering research or as an educational toy for kids due to its safe and human-friendly design.
Although the researchers have conducted preliminary tests on the performance of their flapping microrobot, further improvements and real-world testing are needed to validate its potential. Future studies could explore whether other insects employ similar passive wing deployment strategies, especially in situations where muscle availability is limited. The development of flapping microrobots inspired by beetle wing dynamics opens up new possibilities for aerial and ground-based robotic systems that can navigate diverse environments and perform a range of tasks efficiently.
Leave a Reply