Vortex Ring Formed over the Wings of a Flapping Butterfly and a Small Flapping Robot

摘要

Micro-Air-Vehicles (MAVs) and micro-flight robot have been attracting significant attention in recent years. Many researchers have attempted to develop them with various actuators and devices so far however their studies have not led to practical applications yet. One of the reasons is that flying mechanisms of insects has not been clarified sufficiently. In this study, we clarify the dynamic behavior and the detailed structure of the vortices of the flapping butterfly wing and small flapping robot wing. We conducted a PIV measurement around the flapping butterfly wing of Idea leuconoe and investigated the vortex structure of the wing and its dynamic behavior. Moreover, we compared the vortex structures on the butterfly wing with that on our small flapping robot wing. The vortex ring is formed over the wings regardless of the butterflies and robot. It was found that the vortex ring formed over the wing is one of the most importanat parameter for stbale flight.