A Bionic Morphing Tail Mechanism for Aerial Vehicles

Aerial vehicles, inspired by birds, provide a promising platform for effective winged flight and environmental interaction. However, these vehicles still face challenges when navigating complex, obstacle-rich environments. At present, the flight control of aerial vehicles is primarily managed by the tail. However, most ornithopters typically feature a tail with one or two degrees of freedom (DoFs), significantly limiting the maneuverability and agility of the vehicles. In response to this limitation, our research introduces a bionic bird-inspired morphing tail mechanism with four DoFs related to tilt, elevation, and rudder. We present the design, analysis, simulation, and prototyping of this morphing mechanism. In biology, this robot serves as a valuable tool to explore how birds utilize their tails for dynamic maneuvers and fly more efficiently. In robotics, our creation becomes a testbed for exploring vertical tail-less flight and the control of morphing surfaces.