Designing Wind-dispersed Microfliers for Early Wildfire Warning: Aerodynamic Insights Inspired by the Glider-shaped Alsomitra Macrocarpa Seeds

Wildfires not only pose a danger to humans and animals, they are also harmful to the climate and air quality by producing vast quantities of CO2. Early wildfire warning systems are crucial for minimizing environmental damage, economic losses, and threats to human life. Current unmanned aerial system for wildfire detection is limited by its low-capacity power source, which significantly reduce its flight stability and travel distance. This work designs wind-dispersed microflyer system for early wildfire warning, inspired by the glider-shaped Alsomitra Macrocarpa seeds. Famous for remarkable aerodynamic stability and exceptionally low terminal velocity, the seeds of this plant have large and papery wings and can glide long distances without reliance on gusts or updrafts. The aerodynamic analysis and wind tunnel experiment were conducted utilizing the shapes of these seeds. The analysis revealed that the Alsomitra Macrocarpa seed has an excellent aerodynamic shape with weak flow separation, which is a key reason for its superior lift-to-drag ratio. The designed microflyer with a sensor will be deployed from the air and monitor wildfire-related parameters like temperature effectively and reliably, demonstrating its potential for long-distance wind-assisted fire warning system.