We present a quantitative characterization of the unsteady aerodynamic features of a live, free-flying dragonfly under a well-established flight condition. In particular, our investigations cover the span-wise features of vortex interactions between the fore- and hind-pairs of wings that could be a distinctive feature of a high aspect ratio tandem flapping wing pair. Flapping kinematics and dynamic wing-shape deformation of a dragonfly were measured by tracking painted landmarks on the wings. Using it as the input, computational fluid dynamics analyses were conducted, complemented with time-resolved particle image velocimetry flow measurements to better understand the aerodynamics associated with a dragonfly. The results show that the flow structures around hindwing’s inner region are influenced by forewing’s leading edge vortex, while those around hindwing’s outer region are more influenced by forewing’s shed trailing edge vortex. Using a span-resolved approach, we found that the forewing–hindwing interactions affect the horizontal force (thrust) generation of the hindwing most prominently and the modulation of the force generation is distributed evenly around the midspan. Compared to operating in isolation, the thrust of the hindwing is largely increased during upstroke, albeit the drag is also slightly increased during the downstroke. The vertical force generation is moderately affected by the forewing–hindwing interactions and the modulation takes place in the outer 40% of the hindwing span during the downstroke and in the inner 60% of the span during the upstroke.

This paper presents the effects of wing kinematics on both normal forward flight and escape flight of a dragonfly. A Navier–Stokes-based numerical model has been adopted, and results have been substantiated by experimental data. The wing kinematics of tethered specimens and the prescribed wing morphology of a free-flying dragonfly were used in the simulation. To shed light on the interplay between kinematics and aerodynamics, a parametric study of the kinematics has been conducted. It is found that in escape flight, the dragonfly generates additional lift while the thrust reduces and the overall efficiency drops. Compared with normal forward flight, the escape mode produces larger lift force peaks. When the kinematics change to facilitate escape flight, the aerodynamic forces are affected by not only the flapping kinematics but, in the case of the hindwing, the varied wing–wing vortex interactions. The direction of the resultant force on each wing changes according to the change of the mean of pitching angle and stroke plane angle. We found that in the studied configurations, the varied phasing of the wings has a marginal effect on the aerodynamics of the dragonfly. It reduces lift and increases thrust, and this force modulation is slightly more efficient when the local angle of attack also changes. On the other hand, the change of angle of attack played a major role in leading-edge vortex formations and directing the resultant forces of the wings. The results can be useful in developing flight control strategies for micro air vehicle design.

In city-wide weather prediction, wind gust information can be obtained using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Although wind sensors are available, an algorithm-based active estimation can be helpful not only as a weightless substitute but also as feedback for robust control. This paper aims to estimate the wind gusts affecting the quadrotors (a type of UAV) as the input disturbances by using a frequency-based nonlinear disturbance observer (NDOB). To obtain highly accurate estimations, frequency is considered as the main design parameter, thereby focusing the estimation on the frequency range of the wind gusts. The NDOB is developed using the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy framework. In this approach, the twelfth-order nonlinear model is approximated into a sixth-order T-S fuzzy model to reduce computational cost. A two-step verification method is presented, which includes MATLAB/Simulink simulations and the experiments performed using a 2.5 kg quadrotor.

Drones, which have become increasingly popular in recent years, produce a lot of noise due to the movement of their propellers. When flying near humans, especially as in urban situations, noise suppression is critical. It has been demonstrated that noise can be minimized by increasing propeller lift per unit rotation speed and decreasing propeller rotation speed by expanding propeller area or designing the airfoil shape. This study developed a new structure, serrated Gurney flap, by merging the Gurney flap, which is the trailing-edge structure of an airfoil, and the serration, which is the low-noise structure found in an owl feather, and studied its performance through experiments and numerical simulations. The results indicated that the structure can boost the propeller’s lift coefficient while reducing the vortex separation induced by the Gurney flap and suppress propeller noise by slowing the propeller. Further modification of its structure may result in improved efficiency as well as decreased noise level.

This paper presents an airflow vector sensor for drones. Drones are expected to play a role in various industrial fields. However, the further improvement of flight stability is a significant issue. In particular, compact drones are more affected by wind during flight. Thus, it is desirable to detect air current directly by an airflow sensor and feedback to the control. In the case of a drone in flight, the sensor should detect wind velocity and direction, particularly in the horizontal direction, for a sudden crosswind. In addition, the sensor must also be small, light, and highly sensitive. Here, we propose a compact spherical airflow sensor for drones. Three highly sensitive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) differential pressure (DP) sensor chips were built in the spherical housing as the sensor elements. The 2D wind direction and velocity can be measured from these sensor elements. The fabricated airflow sensor was attached to a small toy drone. It was demonstrated that the sensor provided an output corresponding to the wind velocity and direction when horizontal wind was applied via a fan while the drone was flying. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed sensor will be helpful for directly measuring the air current for a drone in flight.

Insects are able to fly stably in the complex environment of the various gusts that occur in nature. In addition, many insects suffer wing damage in their lives, but many species of insects are capable of flying without their hindwings. Here, we evaluated the effect of hindwings on aerodynamics using a Navier–Stokes-based numerical model, and then the passive dynamic stability was evaluated by coupling the equation of motion in three degrees of freedom with the aerodynamic forces estimated by the CFD solver under large and small perturbation conditions. In terms of aerodynamic effects, the presence of the hindwings slightly reduces the efficiency for lift generation but enhances the partial LEV circulation and increases the downwash around the wing root. In terms of thrust, increasing the wing area around the hindwing region increases the thrust, and the relationship is almost proportional at the cycle-averaged value. The passive dynamic stability was not clearly affected by the presence of the hindwings, but the stability was slightly improved depending on the perturbation direction. These results may be useful for the integrated design of wing geometry and flight control systems in the development of flapping-winged micro air vehicles.