A contact-aided compliant mechanism (CCM) called a compliant spine (CS) is presented in this paper. It is flexible when bending in one direction and stiff when bending in the opposite direction, giving it a nonlinear bending stiffness. The fundamental element of this mechanism is a compliant joint (CJ), which consists of a compliant hinge (CH) and contact surfaces. The design of the compliant joint and the number of compliant joints in a compliant spine determine its stiffness. This paper presents the design and optimization of such a compliant spine. A multi-objective optimization problem with three objectives is formulated in order to perform the design optimization of the compliant spine. The goal of the optimization is to minimize the peak stress and mass while maximizing the deflection, subject to geometric and other constraints. Flapping wing unmanned air vehicles, also known as ornithopters, are used as a case study in this paper to test the accuracy of the design optimization procedure and to prove the efficacy of the compliant spine design. The optimal compliant spine designs obtained from the optimization procedure are fabricated, integrated into the ornithopter's wing leading edge spar, and flight tested. Results from the flight tests prove the ability of the compliant spine to produce an asymmetry in the ornithopter's wing kinematics during the up and down strokes.
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