Design of an Origami Based Flapping-Wing Robot

Birds and insects achieve remarkable aerial maneuvering skills through the primary and passive deformation of their wings. We proposed a wing design method based on origami for a flapping-wing robot (FWR) mimicking ladybugs. First, we designed a wing deformation mechanism, which includes an active folding mechanism and an passive unfolding mechanism. Second, we performed rigid-flexible coupled multibody dynamics simulations to verify the feasibility of the wing design scheme and provide design parameters for the robot prototype fabrication. Third, we designed the robot prototype, with dimensions of $32.5 \mathrm{~cm} \times 43.91 \mathrm{~cm} \times 14.6 \mathrm{~cm}$ and a weight of 429.35 g. Finally, experimental testing was conducted on the robot, showing that the folding time of the wings is 3.7 s, the unfolding time is 3.8 s, and the folding ratio is $\mathbf{6 2. 3 8 1 \%}$. Additionally, we tested and compared the required tension of the robot wings with theoretical analysis for validation. The folding wings designed in this paper possess the merits of simple structure, lightweight, fast folding speed, and high efficiency. Furthermore, wing folding can significantly reduce aerodynamic drag, enabling the FWR to improve aerodynamic performance and reduce energy consumption during both upstroke and downstroke.