Folding Wings Lead to Sturdier Drones

Mar-28-15 Inspired by the wings of birds and bats, researchers have created a robotic wing that can survive collisions and allow the robot to squeeze through narrow openings.

The wing, created by a team from Stanford University, is made of a carbon fiber frame covered with a mylar film. Building on the flexible, jointed structure of bird wings, each wing is equipped with a 3D-printed wrist joint that can fold separately from the rest of the wing. This allows the wing to retract and reform passively if it hits an obstacle, with no motors required.

According to co-author of the study Dr. David Lentink, the new wing design "... will greatly help make flapping winged drones much more robust."

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[EXTREMETECH.COM]
[PHYS.ORG]

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