Proceedings of the

International Conference on Mechanical Engineering 2003

(ICME2003) 26- 28 December 2003, Dhaka, Bangladesh

ICME03-FL-10

DEVELOPMENT OF FLAPPING MECHANISM FOR MICRO AIR

VEHICLE (MAV)
V. Baskar1 and A. Muniappan2
1

Assisstant Professor and 2Research Scholar

Department of Aerospace Engineering, Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University
Chennai, India 600 044.

ABSTRACT
The present work concentrates on development of flapping mechanism for Micro Air Vehicle (MAV).
Initially two different flapping mechanisms were developed namely (i) sliding link mechanism and (ii)
movable hinge mechanism. In sliding link mechanism it was found that there was unsymmetrical flapping.
A mathematical model (using Visual Basic) was developed to study the flapping characteristics of the left
and right wing in order to overcome the unsymmetrical flapping. Based on the mathematical model the
movable hinge mechanism which produces symmetrical flapping was developed. Due to flexible
movement of the strut of the movable hinge mechanism during flapping there was loss in motor torque.
Recently a fixed hinge mechanism that is free from unsymmetrical flapping and strut movement was
developed. Tests were conducted on both the mechanisms to study the characteristics of the flapping and
the results were discussed.
Keywords: Flapping mechanism, Micro Air Vehicle, Movable hinge, Fixed hinge.

1.1 Benefits of Flapping wing Propulsion

There are three basic concepts using which MAVs can
be developed. They are (i) fixed wing category, (ii)
rotary wing category and (iii) flapping wing category.
Among these the flapping wing propulsion is the
efficient way for MAV propulsion because it relies on lift
produced by air flow (due to vehicle speed) and also
wing flapping. Hence, when the size of the vehicle is
reduced, the wing flapping frequency can be suitably
adjusted [2,3]. This design is inherently forgiving for
scale changes. Whereas, the fixed wing vehicles rely on
the lift generated by the airflow passing over the wing.
When the MAV size is reduced the wing area also gets
reduced and the lift it generates is less. The energy
requirement for the rotary wing vehicles are high
compare to flapping flight. Another advantage of
flapping vehicle is that they can take-off and land
vertically at very short distances [4].

1. INTRODUCTION
Recent advances in micro-technology have created an
opportunity to mount miniature surveillance equipment
on small flying aircraft known as Micro Air Vehicles
(MAVs). Such micro-technology includes tiny CCD
cameras, infrared sensors and computer chip sized
hazardous substance detectors. MAVs are used for both
of military and civilian applications to gather
information where human doesnt have access. There is
increasing interest in the development of small MAVs,
which can be used for outdoor flights as well as very
small microscopic aircraft for indoor flights. Worldwide
considerable work is in progress on miniaturizing the
vehicle size for wide range of commercial and defence
operations [1]. As per the DARPA (Defence Advance
Research Projects Agency, USA) definition, the MAV
size is expected to be of order the 10-15 cm, with total
weight of 10-50 grams and the flight endurance of 20-40
minutes with payload (camera and transmitter) of 2
grams.
MAV technology presents a variety of
engineering challenges: they are (i) miniature propulsion,
(ii) aerodynamics (iii) micro-electro mechanical systems
(MEMS), (iv) small-scale power storage (battery), (v)
avionics, (vi) flight controls and many others. The
present work concentrates on the flapping wing
propulsion.

2. DESIGN OF FLAPPING MECHANISM

2.1 Input Parameters for Mechanism
Development
The input parameters for the mechanism design are
1. Weight of the mechanism
2. The flap angle ()
3. Crank radius(r)
4. Width between the hinges (w)
5. Connecting rod length (h = l)
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useful in the development of flapping mechanism. The

fabricated flapping mechanism closely resembles the
mathematical model.

The general mechanism which gives the design

parameters is shown in Fig 1.

Fig 1. General Mechanism indicating various parameters

Fig 2. Mathematical Model of Sliding Link Mechanism

2.2 Features of the MAV Mechanism

The mechanism with unsymmetrical flap introduces
a lag between the right and the left wings. The
mechanism with symmetrical flap introduces no lag
between the wings. Usage of unsymmetrical flap helps
to maintain the uniform motor torque, thereby reducing
the load on the motor. The unequal lift on the wings is a
favorable condition to increase the motor torque. The
main disadvantage is the lift produced by the wings is not
same. This causes an oscillatory motion of MAV in the
lateral direction. This type of unsymmetrical flap may be
effectively used in the control of flight.
The use of symmetrical flap helps to get the same
amount of lift on both the wings. This doesnt cause
oscillatory motion in the lateral direction. Also obtaining
the design parameters for the mechanism is simpler. The
main disadvantage of this mechanism is the
controllability. A separate control surface must be
employed to achieve control in such mechanisms.

3. SLIDING LINK MECHANISM

3.1 Mechanism Description
The mechanism ( Fig . 3) consists of a crank disk D
attached to the motor shaft. One end of the connecting
rod C is attached to the disc D. The tube has two holes
through which the sliding links move up and down while
the crank disc D rotates.
T ube

Sliding Link

2.3 Mechanism Modeling

Before any mechanism is build, it is necessary to
arrive at some approximate dimensions for the links in
the mechanism. Hence a mathematical model has been
developed. By varying the values of different parameters,
the working of mechanism can be theoretically analyzed.
Two mathematical models for the mechanism have been
developed viz. the sliding link mechanism and the
movable hinge mechanism.
The mathematical models can easily be developed
using software like Visual Basic or Visual C++ or Turbo
C graphics. In the present work the mathematical
modeling has been developed using the Visual Basic
Package (Fig 2). The values for various parameters like
the crank radius, connecting rod length, tube diameter
and hinge width are possible to vary at any instant in the
model and thereby the animation of the mechanism. The
maximum angle of flap, instantaneous angle of flap for
each wing can be analyzed separately for every degree of
crank rotation. The mathematical modeling is extremely

Connecting Rod

Crank Disc

Fig 3. Sliding Link Mechanism

The sliding links are hinged at a distance of 25% of its

length (experiments show that it could be hinged at
30-33%). The distance between the hinges is fixed. The
height of the hinges from the base is also fixed. For the
entire design the motor shaft position is taken as the
origin. As the crank disc starts rotating, the links start
sliding into the tube and gradually flaps down.
The main inputs for the design are the dimensions of
various links of the mechanism. The dimensions are
tailored to fit the total dimension of the mechanism. The
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dimensions of various links of the mechanism are shown

in Table 1.

Table 2: Rotation of wings for rotation of crank

Crank
Angle
of Rotation
0
0.00
30.00
60.00
90.00
120.00
150.00
180.00
210.00
240.00
270.00
360.00

Table 1: Dimensions of sliding link mechanism

Component
Hinge width (w)
Crank disc diameter (d=2xr)
Connecting rod length (l)
Tube diameter
Link length
Height of hinge from motor shaft

Dimension
(mm)
30
20
30
10
30
30

The main objective of the mechanism design is to

have an optimum flapping frequency, angle of flap and
minimum weight.
The maximum flap angle for the sliding link
mechanism is given by

Right Wing
Rotation
r0

Left Wing
Rotation
l 0

-0.27
26.83
42.02
45.00
36.34
12.58
-18.20
-37.09
-44.55
-45.00
-0.27

-18.20
12.58
36.34
45.00
42.02
26.83
-0.27
-25.33
-39.31
-45.00
-18.20

(1)

Table 2. shows the values of the angle through which

the right and the left wings flap for each degree of crank
rotation. The wing flapping positions are found to be
same for 90o and 270o which are the points of maximum
upstroke and down stroke. The design is such that the
upstroke and the down stroke are equal and hence the
flap angle at these positions.

3.2 Instantaneous Wing Rotation

The flapping angle of the wing greatly influences the
instantaneous angle of attack of the wing and hence the
lift and drag characteristics of the wing. If i be the
rotation of the crank then the tube T is displaced an
height r*sin( i ) and the tube itself is rotated through

3.4 Motor Specifications

The motor specifications influence more on the
characteristics of the micro-air vehicle. The motor that
has been selected for the mechanism has the following
specifications.
Motor weight : 25.1g
Motor speed : 12000 RPM
Input voltage : 4.5 V

r
= 2 * Sin -1

0 .5 * w
and the maximum flap angle is 89.98o

an angle . this in turn rotates the links.

The expression for the tube rotation is given as

( r* cos ( i )

i = Sin -1
(h r*sin( i )

3.5 Weight of the Mechanism

The sliding link mechanism consists of links, motor
and supportive frame. The links were made by the
laminated composite material. The total weight of the
mechanism is 37.9g without wings.

(2)

4. MOVABLE HINGE MECHANISM

4.1 Mechanism Description
The mechanism (Fig. 4) consists of a crank disk D
attached to a motor shaft. One end of the connecting rod
C is attached to the disk D. The other end of the
connecting rod is attached to one end of the links L1 and
L2 using fasteners. The other end of links L1 and L2 are
connected to one end of flexible strut. The other end of
struts is fixed at the base. The strut deflection makes the
hinges to move while the connecting rod goes up and
down
The distance between the hinges is fixed and so is its
height from the base. For the entire design the motor
shaft is taken as the origin. This helps in the calculation
of velocity, acceleration and the axial/transverse forces
act on various links. When the crank rotates the links
start moving up and down. This link movement causes
the wing flapping.

The instantaneous flapping angle of each of the wing

is given as

( r * sin( i ) 0.5*t*sin( i )
i = Sin -1

0.5w

(3)

3.3 Wing Lag

In the unsymmetrical flapping mechanism it is
observed that there is lag in the wing flapping between
the right and left wings. The maximum lag is 17.930
when the crank is at right most position (0o crank
rotation). As the crank rotation approaches (n+1)/2 ( n
= 0,2,4) the lag reduces to 0. This indicates that the
flaps are nearly symmetrical only at the crank rotation
angle (n+1) /2 (n=0,2,4,..).

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Moving Hinge

Flexible Strut

Fig 4. The Movable Hinge Mechanism

The design inputs are the dimensions of various links

of the mechanism. The dimensions of the various links
are given in Table 3.
Fig 5. Movable Hinge Mechanism with Specifications
Table 3: Dimensions of movable hinge mechanism
Component
Hinge width (w)
Crank disc diameter (d=2xr)
Connecting rod length (l)
Link length
Height of hinge from motor shaft

4.3 Wing Lag

There is no wing lag in the movable hinge
mechanism and this contributes the symmetrical
flapping.

Dimension
(mm)
25
20
25
20
25

4.4 Motor Specifications

The motor specifications influence more on the
characteristics of the micro-air vehicle. The motor that
has been selected for the movable hinge mechanism has
the following specifications.
Motor weight : 20g
Motor speed : 12000 RPM
Input voltage : 1.5 V 12.0 V

The maximum flap angle for the movable hinge

mechanism is given by

r
= 2 * Sin -1

0.5 * w

(4)

4.5 Weight of the Mechanism

The movable hinge mechanism consists of links,
motor and movable struts. The links were made by
laminated composite material. The total weight of the
mechanism is 35g without wings.

The maximum flap angle () is 106.26 . This is

higher than the flap angle obtained in the sliding link
mechanism.
4.2 Instantaneous Wing Rotation
The flapping angle of the wing greatly influences the
instantaneous angle of attack of the wing and hence the
lift and drag characteristics of the wing. Fig. 5 shows the
instantaneous flapping angle and crank angle. If i be the
rotation of the crank then the crank rotation make the
connecting rod to displace to an height r*sin( i ) . The

5. FIXED HINGE MECHANISM

5.1 Mechanism Description
The flapping mechanism has been developed using
Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) links and a small D.C. motor.
In the MAV design the minimum weight criterion is very
important. Hence a lightweight PVC having density ()
of 1.3g/cc has been selected for fabricating the links. The
links have been flexibly connected using aluminum
rivets of suitable sizes. In obtaining the maximum flap
angle, the width between hinges (w) and crank radius (r)
are the important parameters. The maximum flap angle
() is attained by using the optimum values for w and
r in the present design.
The mathematical expression used to determine the
flap angle () is

instantaneous flapping angle of the wings is given as

( r * sin( i )
i = Sin -1

0.5w

(5)

=2*tan-1(r/w)
4

(6)
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5.4 Weight of the Mechanism

The weight of different components of the fixed
hinge mechanism is given in Table 5. Comparing the
sliding link and movable hinge mechanisms it has been
found the fixed hinge mechanism weighs less (33 grams
without wings).

The maximum flap angle () obtained in the fixed

hinge mechanism is 900.
The fixed hinge flapping mechanism is shown in the
Fig 6.

Table 5: Weight of fixed hinge mechanism

Component
Crank radius (r)
Connecting rod C)
Main support (M)
Primary plate (P)
Wing fixture (Wf)
Guide (G)
Rivets
Motor
Total weight

Fig 6. Fixed hinge Flapping Mechanism

Weight (W)
(g)
0.5
2
3.5
2
2
2
3
18
33

6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

To measure the flapping frequency a non-contact
type frequency-measuring instrument is developed using
opto-coupler sensor and oscilloscope and it is shown in
Fig 7. The D.C. motor characteristics for different input
voltage are shown in Fig 8.

The mechanism consists of a crank of radius (r)

which is attached to the motor shaft and a connecting rod
(C). One end of the connecting rod is attached to the
crank and the other end is attached to the primary wing
fixture plate (P), in which the linear motion is obtained
through guide (G). Two wing fixtures (Wf) are used to
mount the wings on the either side of the MAV. One end
of both the wing fixture are connected on either sides of
the primary wing fixture plate (P). The wing fixtures are
supported by the main support (M), which is attached on
the base of the MAV. The dimensions of the flapping
mechanism components are given in Table 4.

Table 4: Dimensions of fixed hinge mechanism

Dimension
10 mm
30 mm
52.5 mm
30mm x 8 mm
15mm x 8 mm
52.5 mm

Fig 7. Opto- Coupler sensor arrangement

250
Motor Frequency (Hz)

Component
Crank radius (r)
Connecting rod C)
Main support (M)
Primary plate (P)
Wing fixture (Wf)
Guide (G)

5.2 Wing Lag

In this mechanism there is no wing lag and this gives
the symmetrical flapping.

200
150
100
50
0
0

5.3 Motor Specifications

The motor used for the fixed hinge mechanism has the
following specifications.
Motor weight: 18g
Motor speed : 12000 RPM
Input voltage : 1.5 V 12.0 V

10

15

Input voltage to the motor (V)

Fig 8. D.C. motor characteristics

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movable hinge mechanism was eliminated in fixed hinge

mechanism.
The flapping frequencies of the
mechanisms were measured for different motor input
voltage. From the experimental results it was found that
the fixed hinge mechanism produce less flapping
frequency due to more number of links in the mechanism.
By minimizing the number and reducing the size of links
it is possible to increase the flapping frequency in the
fixed hinge mechanism.

Frequency (Hz)

Movable and fixed hinge mechanisms are tested using

the above said instrument to determine the frequencies
for different input voltage of the motor. The results are
shown in Figs 9 and 10.
The experimental result shows that the movable hinge
mechanism has high flapping frequency when the
mechanism alone is connected to the motor (Fig 9)
compare to the fixed hinge mechanism. The fixed hinge
mechanism performs better when the wings are attached
to the mechanisms (Fig 9 and 10) i.e., the difference in
the flapping frequency is seen to be less than the flapping
frequency of the movable hinge mechanism. In the
movable hinge mechanism the wing attachment cause
resistance to the deflection of the flexible strut. This may
be due to the additional load on the strut due to the wing
attachment. The additional load on the strut causes the
reduction in the motor torque. The loss in motor torque
reflects on the flapping frequency.

8. SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORK

Weight of the flapping mechanism could be reduced
by using micro motor. The links has to be miniaturized
in order to reduce the width between the hinges that
influences the maximum flap angle of the mechanism.
The wings of different planforms have to be fabricated
and the lift characteristics have to be studied [5,6].
9. REFERENCES
1. Woods, M.I., Henderson, J.F. and Lock, G.D.,
2001, Energy Requirements for the flight of
Micro Air Vehicles, The Aeronautical Journal,
135 149.
2. Kenneth C. Hall. and Steven R. Hall, 1996,
Minimum induced power requirements for
flapping flight, Journal of Fluid Mechanics,
323:285 315.
3. Jones, K.D. and Platzer, M.F., 2000, Flapping
wing propulsion for Micro Air Vehicle,
AIAA-897-903.
4. Watkins, S., Development of Micro Air
Vehicle, 2003, The Aeronautical Journal,
117-123.
5. Weishyy, Mats Berg and Daniel Ljungqvist,
1995, Flapping and flexible wings for
biological and Micro Air Vehicles, Progress in
Aerospace Science, 35: 455 505
6. De Lautier and Harries, J.M., 1982,
Experimental study of oscillating wing
propulsion, Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 19, No.5:
368 373.

fixed hinge

45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

movable hinge

10

15

Input voltage to the motor (V)

Fig 9. Flapping frequency characteristics of the

mechanism

16
Frequency (Hz)

14

10. NOMENCLATURE

12
10

Symbol

r
w
W
I

Hz
V

8
6

movable hinge

fixed hinge

2
0
0

10

15

Input voltage of motor (V)

Fig 10. Flapping frequency characteristics of the

mechanism with wing

Meaning
Flap angle
Crank radius
Hinge width
Weight
Tube rotation
Wing rotation
Density
Frequency
Voltage

Unit
(degree)
(mm)
(mm)
(g)
(degree)
(degree)
(kg/m3)
(Hertz)
(V)

7. CONCLUSION
Two different flapping mechanisms were developed.
Mathematical model was developed for simulating the
working of the mechanisms. Resistance to the deflection
of the flexible strut by the wing attachment in the
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