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The flight of the bat is characterized by a unique wing movement, which enables a 50% saving in the energy required to create lift. By the end of reading you will understand why Bruce Wayne chose to be Batman...

Scientists from Brown University in the USA built a robotic wing inspired by the wing movement of the fruit bat. The wing does not fly on its own, but is in a facility called a 'wind tunnel', where the aerodynamic properties of the bat's wing are tested in terms of its shape and movement capabilities. In this facility, the forces and The energy required for the movement of the wing against aerodynamic loads.

The purpose of the research and experiment is to find a way, with the help of which robots will be able to fly by moving wings and not with the help of propellers and other rotary movements. The US Air Force, which financed the research (in cooperation with the National Science Institute), realized that by imitating the flight of the bat, it is possible to develop energetically efficient aircraft.

The robotic wing, which is about 20 cm long, contains plastic parts (made using a XNUMXD printer) that simulate, in terms of shape and properties, the bones of the bat. The skin that is stretched over the bones is made by silicone strips and by wires, simulating the tendons of the bat .

In the process of movement, the flapping of the wing produces lifting forces, with the help of which the bat rises. The engineers who studied the flight of the bat discovered that the structure of the wing allows the bat to fold its wings with precise timing, thanks to which 50% of the force required to activate the lifting force is saved. This fact indicates high efficiency and energy saving.

With the help of this study, the researchers were able to understand the complexity of the movement of the bat wing and the uniqueness of each of the wing's components - the purpose of the action of the tendons and ligaments, the great elasticity of the skin, the structure of the muscles, and the flexibility of the skeleton. From the experiments, the researchers concluded about the mechanics and kinematics that characterize the bat's form of flight.

Creating an artificial model, which would pass the wind tunnel tests, required many and repeated attempts while the bat passes these tests without any problem. Here too, as in countless other cases, the researchers witnessed the wisdom of nature's creation.

Source of knowledge
For information on the Innovation from Nature website