Study of insect-based flying microrobots

A rough analysis of the scale effect as applied to a flying insect shows that the wing flapping frequency is inversely proportional to the square root of the size. The first two of the areas is used to design three simple structures. Aerodynamic calculations are made on the simplest structure. It is found that with a 0.5-mm chord, a 1-mm wing length and a 3- mu m thickness, it can generate 4.47*10/sup -7/ N of force, while its weight is 6.76*10/sup -8/ N, proving the feasibility of microrobot flight. Three large-scale models of flying microrobots are made with flapping frequencies in the range of 20 Hz. The influence of the flapping movement upon the whole structure is investigated.<
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