Design of a Flapping Wings Butterfly Robot based on Aerodynamics Force

Insect robots are always amazed by humans due to their ability to fly using a wing flapping mechanism. The butterfly robot was designed in this research based on aerodynamics and aeroelastic especially for designing a flapping mechanism due to its complexity. A butterfly wing structure was designed by considering aerodynamics forces based on assumptions. Aerodynamic equations were derived in order to obtain lift and thrust forces that acted on a small wing section. The wing was assumed to be in the Quasi-steady state when it was analyzed based on the thin airfoil theorem. Airflow was simulated in order to obtain air pressure and vortices acting on the wing surface when it swings in the still air. By integrating the wing section's lift force for a flapping cycle motion trajectory, the average lift force was obtained. The robot wing structure was designed based on the average lift. The real butterfly wing was used as the guideline for designing the robot wing. Each wing was fabricated from a laminar plastic sheet. Carbon fiber rods were used as internal reinforced support structures for wing frames. The reinforced wing achieved the wing's rigidity and was considered as a thin airfoil. The flapping mechanism was designed by using two separated servo motors because of its flexibility and performance. This mechanism enables the robot's rotation without an extra actuator. The butterfly robot body was manufactured from the 3D printer using PLA material. Experiments identified the robot performance. The designed butterfly robot can take off from the support platform and fly up to a certain height.

Kanjanapan Sukvichai, Kan Yajai