Design and fabrication of a bat-inspired flapping-flight platform using shape memory alloy muscles and joints

This work focuses on the development of a concept for a micro-air vehicle (MAV) based on a bio-inspired flapping motion that is generated from integrated smart materials. Since many smart materials have their own biomimetic characteristics and the potential to be highly efficient, lightweight, and streamlined, they are ideal candidates for use in structural or actuator components in MAVs. In this work, shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires are used as analogs for biological muscles, and super-elastic SMAs are implemented as flexible joints capable of large bending angles. While biological organisms have an intrinsic sensing array composed of nerves, the SMA wires also provide self-sensing by virtue of a phase-dependent resistance change. Study of the biology and flight characteristics of natural fliers concluded that the bat provides an ideal platform for SMA muscle wires because of its comparatively low wingbeat frequency and superb maneuverability. A first-generation prototype is built to further the understanding of fabricating Nature's designs. The engineering design is then improved further in a second-generation prototype that combines 3D printing and new techniques for embedding SMA wires and shaping SMA joints for improved robustness, reproducibility, and lifetime. These prototypes are on display at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science's Nature Research Center, which has the goal of bridging the gaps between biology and engineering.