Toward Practical Autonomous Flight Simulation for Flapping Wing Biomimetic Robots With Experimental Validation

The utilization of a well-established flapping wing robot simulation holds significant importance in the advancement of flapping wing mechanisms and algorithms. This research paper introduces a pioneering application-oriented flapping wing robot simulation platform that exhibits high compatibility with diverse mechanical designs and adaptability to various robotic tasks. Initially, the paper presents the blade element theory and the quasi-steady model as computational approaches for determining the aerodynamics of flapping wings based on their kinematics. The computation incorporates translational lift, translational drag, rotational lift, added mass force, and clap-and-fling mechanism. The simulation platform is validated through flight control tasks, providing a comprehensive assessment of its performance. Moreover, this study addresses the challenges of attitude tracking and trajectory tracking control for a specially designed flapping wing robot. The proposed control strategies are evaluated through real flight experiments, offering practical insights into the robot flight capabilities.
Note to Practitioners
—One of the primary contributions of this research is the introduction of a novel and robust flapping wing flight controller that effectively addresses the challenges associated with attitude tracking control and positional trajectory tracking. The proposed controller demonstrates superior performance compared to existing algorithms, as evidenced by comparative simulations conducted on the developed simulation platform. Furthermore, real flight experiments are performed on a self-made flapping wing robot using the same control algorithm and parameters employed in the simulations. Another highlight lies in the transferability from simulation to reality. The utilization of a high-fidelity simulation platform enables in-depth exploration and scrutiny of complex behaviors manifested in diverse flight tasks. This, in turn, allows for meticulous analysis and examination to gain valuable insights into the practical implementation of flapping wing robot flight.