Abstract
We have developed a battery-powered ornithopter to investigate the kinematic variation as the stroke amplitude changed. The ornithopter was designed to have 110 mm wing semi-span so that Reynolds number was the same order as that of insects (Re 〜 10^4). Free flights of the ornithopter in various stroke amplitudes were recorded with a high-speed camera at 1000 fps, and their motions were analyzed. We clarified that the body angle increased from 14 degree to 100 degree as stroke amplitude increased from 48 degree to 78 degree. We were also able to measure angular velocity and acceleration of the ornithopter with 300 [Hz] for 0.4 [s] during free flight using gyro sensor and acceleration sensor. The circuits weigh 0.71 [g] and 0.83 [g], which were light enough to attach on the ornithopter. On each circuit, sensor output was once stored in EEPROM, and retrieved later. We demonstrated our ornithopter with sensors was useful in measuring kinematic parameters in free flight.
