Neurobiologically Inspired Control of Engineered Flapping Flight

Abstract

This article presents a new control approach for engineered flapping flight with many interacting degrees of freedom. This paper explores the applications of neurobiologically inspired control systems in the form of Central Pattern Generators (CPG) to generate wing trajectories for potential flapping flight MAVs. We present a rigorous mathematical and control theoretic framework to design complex three dimensional motions of flapping wings. Most flapping flight demonstrators are mechanically limited in generating the wing trajectories. Because CPGs lend themselves to more biological examples of flight, a novel robotic model has been developed to emulate the flight of bats. This model has shoulder and leg joints totaling 10 degrees of freedom for control of wing properties. Results of wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulation of CPG-based flight control validate the effectiveness of the proposed neurobiologically inspired control approach.

Additional Information

© 2009 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This project was supported by the Air Force office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under the Young Investigator Award Program (YIP) (contract monitor: Dr. Willard Larkin). This paper benefited from discussion with Profs. Jean-Jacques Slotine at MIT, Prof. Kenneth Breuer at Brown University, and Dr. Gregg Abate at the Air Force Research Lab. The first author appreciate Prof. Partha Sarka at Iowa State University for allowing him to use the wind tunnel facility in the Wind Simulation and Testing Laboratory. The authors gratefully acknowlege contributions from the following students at Iowa State University: Anid Monsur, Antonella Albuja, Brad Smith, Christopher Massina, Keegan Gartner, Matt Hawkins, Merritt Tennison, and Ryan Paul.

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Published - FlappingFlightInfoTech09.pdf

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