Credit: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne






“We were inspired by birds: they can radically transform the size and shape of their wings because they have an articulated skeleton that is controlled by muscles and covered in feathers that overlap when the wings are folded,” explained Matteo di Luca. The drone also has feathers that it can fold and overlap like a fan.

One of the many challenges was in designing and building the complex morphing mechanism, in other words, mimicking nature to construct the drone. “It is extremely difficult to find the right balance between aerodynamic efficiency and the weight of the device,” explained Stefano Mintchev. The wing is composed mainly of composite materials in order to maximize strength while reducing overall weight.

Morphing wings that can adapt to the environment and weather conditions are also an important issue in aeronautics. Engineers are still trying to find the ideal replacement for the rigid wings and ailerons of planes. For Floreano, the head of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, this is a promising project: “With the foldable wings, we discovered that we didn’t need ailerons to help the drone turn. By changing the wingspan and surface area during flight, we could make it turn automatically.”



Source: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne

Research Reference:

M. Di Luca et al. Bioinspired morphing wings for extended flight envelope and roll control of small drones, Interface Focus (2016). DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2016.0092