Self-lifting artificial insect wings via electrostatic flapping actuators

Abstract

We present self-lifting artificial insect wings by means of electrostatic actuation for the first time. Excited by a DC power source, biomimetic flapping motions have been generated to lift the artificial wings 5cm above ground (limited by the current experimental setup) under an operation frequency of 50-70Hz. Three achievements have been accomplished: (1) first successful demonstration of self-lifting electrostatic flying wings; (2) low power consumption as compared to other actuation schemes; and (3) self-adjustable rotating wing design to provide the lifting force. As such, this work can lead to a new class of electrostatic flapping actuators for artificial flying insects.978-1-4799-7955-4/15/$31.00 ©2015 IEEE

A Miniature Flapping Mechanism Using an Origami-Based Spherical Six-Bar Pattern

“…To enable successful working of FWMAVs, researchers have employed a variety of actuators such as DC motors [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], piezoelectric actuators [20][21][22][23], electromagnetic actuators [24][25][26][27][28], and electrostatic actuators [6,29].…”

A novel piezo-actuated flapping mechanism based on inertia drive

“…Various flapping actuation mechanisms composed of different forms of actuators and flapping transmission mechanisms have been investigated and developed over the last decades. Actuators used for flapping actuation mechanisms include DC motors (Baek et al, 2009; Bejgerowski et al, 2009; De Croon et al, 2009; Hines et al, 2013; Hsu et al, 2010; Lau et al, 2014; Madangopal et al, 2005; Tsai and Fu, 2009), piezoelectric actuators (Arabagi et al, 2012; Cox et al, 2002; Mateti et al, 2013; Mukherjee and Ganguli, 2010; Peng et al, 2017; Syaifuddin et al, 2006; Wood, 2007), electromagnetic actuators (Bontemps et al, 2012; Meng et al, 2012; Zou et al, 2016), dielectric elastomer actuators (Lau et al, 2014; Zdunich et al, 2007), electrostatic actuators (Suzuki et al, 1994; Yan et al, 2015), and electroactive membranes (Hays et al, 2013). On the basis of the output movements of actuators (i.e.…”

“…To perform tasks in various confined spaces for a wide range of applications, such as exploration of unknown caves, search and rescue in a building on fire or under collapsed structures, and detection of chemical or radiation leakages in related plants, tailless FWMAVs are becoming a popular trend for research Cobb, 2012, 2014;Deng et al, 2006a;Deng et al, 2006b;Doman and Oppenhermer, 2009;Finio et al, 2009;Hoang et al, 2017;Keennon et al, 2012;Mukherjee and Ganguli, 2010;Nguyen and Chan, 2019;Oppenheimer et al, 2011;Roshanbin et al, 2017;Wood, 2007Wood, , 2008, since they have great potential for miniaturization. To achieve lifting, propulsion, and steering simply via wing flapping with the concept illustrated in Figure 1 (Baek et al, 2009;Bejgerowski et al, 2009;De Croon et al, 2009;Hines et al, 2013;Hsu et al, 2010;Lau et al, 2014;Madangopal et al, 2005;Tsai and Fu, 2009), piezoelectric actuators (Arabagi et al, 2012;Cox et al, 2002;Mateti et al, 2013;Mukherjee and Ganguli, 2010;Peng et al, 2017;Syaifuddin et al, 2006;Wood, 2007), electromagnetic actuators (Bontemps et al, 2012;Meng et al, 2012;Zou et al, 2016), dielectric elastomer actuators (Lau et al, 2014;Zdunich et al, 2007), electrostatic actuators (Suzuki et al, 1994;Yan et al, 2015), and electroactive membranes…”

A Millimeter-Scale Electrostatic Flapping-wing Actuator with High Lift-to-Weight Ratio

“…One of the greatest challenges in FMAV research is the design of an actuator that is both suitable and efficient in a small scale. Several kinds of actuators, such as electrostatic actuators [1], electromagnetic actuators [2] or piezoelectric actuators [3], have been researched preliminarily. With its advantages in power consumption and miniaturization, the electrostatic actuator has great potential as a millimeter-scale actuator for FMAVs.…”

“…With its advantages in power consumption and miniaturization, the electrostatic actuator has great potential as a millimeter-scale actuator for FMAVs. However, previous electrostatic actuator, such as the one demonstrated in [1], can only generate 3.1mg lift force. As the total weight is 330mg, the lift-to-weight ratio of that prototype is 0.0094, which means autonomous flight is still unable to achieve at present.…”