March 26, 2023
Flow-surface interactions offer unique opportunities to enhance the capabilities and efficiency of micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). The proximity of surfaces modifies the flow around the vehicle, which in turn alters the forces and moments acting on it. These so-called “proximity effects” include the well-known ground effect that benefits fixed-wing aircraft during takeoff and landing. For MAVs, additional opportunities arise from flying near walls and ceilings.
Our recent studies explore proximity effects for rotorcraft MAVs. In [1,2], we investigate “ceiling effects” for perching a small quadrotor on an overhang. The spinning propellers of a rotorcraft generate higher thrust near a ceiling, reducing power consumption. The study models and verifies this phenomenon for different propeller configurations, showing up to 3x power savings. A conceptual prototype demonstrates how to exploit ceiling effects for efficient perching maneuvers, highlighting potential for bimodal aerial-surface locomotion.
Like ceiling effects, wall effects offer opportunities for proximity-based enhancements of MAVs. Another study proposes “wall effects” for passive wall following of a ducted tilt-rotor MAV [3]. The aerodynamic interaction between the rotor wake and a vertical wall generates forces that stabilize the vehicle a fixed distance from the wall. By adjusting attitude and control gains, the stable distance can be tuned without position sensing. Flight experiments validate the ability to manipulate and eliminate the need for explicit wall sensing. The outcomes could enable vision-free navigation of corridors via human control.
Overall, these studies show how understanding flow-surface interactions offers new possibilities for MAVs. Proximity effects around ceilings, walls, and the ground could variously enable energy saving behaviors, simplified navigation, and expanded functional capabilities. Further work is needed to fully harness these opportunities, but early results highlight their promise for enhancing MAV performance through clever yet simple flow-surface coupling.
[1] Y. H. Hsiao and P. Chirarattananon, “Ceiling effects for surface locomotion of small rotorcraft,” in Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on, 2018, pp. 6214-6219.March 1, 2023
To promote the Bachelor program in Aerospace Engineering, City University of Hong Kong The CityU CENG Tech Day on 18 February 2023. Our lab played a big role in holding a half-day workshop on Bio-Inspired Micro Aerial Vehicles. The event brought together over 60 high school students and faculty members.
Led by Dr Songnan Bai, the event kicked off with a brief introduction to drones and their various applications. The students were then given a crash course in aerodynamics, which is the study of the motion of air and how it interacts with objects, such as wings. The main focus was on lift and drag, the two primary forces that allow a drone to fly.
The students were then divided into groups and given a hands-on activity where they had to create their own monocopters from provided components such as wings, motors, and batteries. With guidance from experienced instructors, the students had the opportunity to design and build their own drones, and test them out right away.
As the students worked on their robots, they learned about the various components that make up a drone, such as the propellers, the motor, and the battery. They also learned about the importance of balance and weight distribution in creating a stable and drone.
Overall, the event was a huge success, with the students leaving with a newfound appreciation for the world of flying robots. They not only learned about the scientific principles that make drones possible but also got hands-on experience in designing and building their own. The event was an excellent example of how to make learning fun and engaging, and we hope to see more of such educational events in the future.
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