Wing Coupling in Bees and Wasps: From the Underlying Science to Bioinspired Engineering

Wing-to-wing coupling mechanisms synchronize motions of insect wings and minimize their aerodynamic interference. Albeit they share the same function, their morphological traits appreciably vary across groups. Here the structure-material-function relationship of wing couplings of nine castes and species of Hymenoptera is investigated. It is shown that the springiness, robustness, and asymmetric behavior augment the functionality of the coupling by reducing stress concentrations and minimizing the impacts of excessive flight forces. A quantitative link is established between morphological variants of the coupling mechanisms and forces to which they are subjected. Inspired by the coupling mechanisms, a rotating-sliding mechanical joint that withstands tension and compression and can also be locked/unlocked is fabricated. This is the first biomimetic research of this type that integrates approaches from biology and engineering.

Automated summary

The study investigates the structure-material-function relationship of wing couplings in nine castes and species of Hymenoptera, revealing that springiness, robustness, and asymmetric behavior enhance the functionality of the couplings. A quantitative link is established between morphological variants of the coupling mechanisms and forces they are subjected to. Inspired by the coupling mechanisms, a rotating-sliding mechanical joint that can withstand tension and compression and can be locked/unlocked is fabricated.