Bio-Inspired Gliding Robot

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Phantom crane flies spread their hollow, elongated legs, allowing themselves to be passively carried by air currents without relying on active wing flapping. Postural adjustments of individual legs appear to influence pitch, roll, and yaw. We are now developing a bio-inspired robot to investigate how this control is achieved. This research aims to inform the design of a new generation of micro aerial vehicles capable of transitioning from active flapping to passive, leg-mediated flight, enabling them to exploit air currents and reduce energy expenditure.

MY CONTRIBUTIONS

• 01

  Joined the project at conception, contributing to leg geometry and actuator design

• 02

  Developing control code for shape-memory alloy (Nitinol) actuators to drive posture-dependent aerodynamic behavior

• 03

  Supporting early-stage mechanism prototyping and control strategy development for passive-to-active flight transitions