Modeling of Four-Winged Micro Ornithopters Inspired by Dragonflies

Abstract

In this paper, we present a full dynamical model of a four-winged micro ornithopter inspired by a dragonfly-type insect. The micro ornithopter is modeled as four articulated rigid body components (wings) connected to the main body via spherical joints. The dynamical model is derived using Lagrangian mechanics with intrinsic global coordinates, without relying on the common assumptions that neglect the wings-body interactions. Furthermore, the aerodynamic forces are modeled under the quasi-steady motion assumption without restricting the flapping frequency to be relatively high. This provides a full and elegant four-winged micro ornithopter model that captures the interaction between the body and the wings while avoiding the complexities and singularities associated with other coordinate representations (e.g., Euler angles). Simulation studies of the inertial effects of the relative motion between the different parts of the multibody system show the importance of considering the forces and torques, resulting from the wings-body interaction, in motion generation of these insects.