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Multifunctional Wings with Flexible Batteries and Solar Cells for Robotic Birds

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Challenges in Mechanics of Time Dependent Materials, Volume 2

Abstract

Inspired by nature, Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicles (FWAVs), also known as “robotic birds” use flexible compliant wings that deform while flapping for aerodynamic force generation to achieve flight, just like real birds. However, unlike real birds, these vehicles require an artificial power source, like a battery, which limits flight time depending on how much the FWAV can carry (i.e., the payload) and the energy density of the power source. Previously, we have integrated flexible solar cells into a novel FWAV we developed called “Robo Raven” that has programmable wings capable of flapping independently. With the solar cells, energy is harvested during flight to extend the flight time of the FWAV. Recently, we have begun investigating the use of flexible batteries in the wings. By replacing wing mass with material capable of storing energy, it is possible to further increase the flight time and energy storage potential of the platform. However, we are assessing the effects of replacing the regular wing materials with battery materials on the generation of lift and thrust forces. In this paper, different wing designs were designed, built, and tested and flown with the Robo Raven platform. The aerodynamic forces generated by each wing design were measured using a test stand with a six degree of freedom load cell inside of a wind tunnel to simulate flight conditions. A mass-based multifunctional performance analysis is developed to assess the tradeoffs and benefits of using battery materials in the wings for the platform’s time-of-flight.

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Acknowledgements

This research has been supported by Dr. Byung-Lip “Les” Lee at AFOSR through grant FA95501510350. Opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions of the sponsors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Alex E. Holness, Ariel Perez-Rosado & Hugh A. Bruck

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Martin Peckerar

  3. Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    Satyandra K. Gupta

Authors
  1. Alex E. Holness
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  2. Ariel Perez-Rosado
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  3. Hugh A. Bruck
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  4. Martin Peckerar
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  5. Satyandra K. Gupta
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hugh A. Bruck .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sandia National Laboratories , Livermore, California, USA

    Bonnie Antoun

  2. Psylotech, Evanston, Illinois, USA

    Alex Arzoumanidis

  3. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    H. Jerry Qi

  4. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

    Meredith Silberstein

  5. University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

    Alireza Amirkhizi

  6. Exxon Mobile, Irving, Texas, USA

    Jevan Furmanski

  7. University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA

    Hongbing Lu

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© 2017 The Society for Experimental Mechanics, Inc.

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Holness, A.E., Perez-Rosado, A., Bruck, H.A., Peckerar, M., Gupta, S.K. (2017). Multifunctional Wings with Flexible Batteries and Solar Cells for Robotic Birds. In: Antoun, B., et al. Challenges in Mechanics of Time Dependent Materials, Volume 2. Conference Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41543-7_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41543-7_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-41542-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-41543-7

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