This proposal is aimed at studying the fundamentals of dynamic design of flapping wing micro air vehicles. Nature's small flying machines, in particular, humming birds and hawk moths, provide the inspiration for this work. The goals of this research project are as follows: (i) aerodynamic studies during hover and forward flight with different wing geometries and kinematic patterns of motion, (ii) Development of a micro flapper testbed to assist in evaluation of the designs, (iii) Development of navigation and control algorithms for hover and point-to-point motions.
