A BIOMIMETIC BAT FLAPPING VEHICLE DESIGN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING APPLICATIONS

This paper presents the design of a bionic bat aircraft based on the flight characteristics of the Australian grey-headed flying fox. By analyzing the wing morphology changes and motion patterns of the grey-headed flying fox, combined with key factors affecting lift, a flapping-wing aircraft was developed. To avoid excessive structural complexity and weight, the biological structure was simplified into four main components: an active forelimb deformation mechanism, an active leg deformation mechanism, a wing flapping mechanism, and the main fuselage. The flapping mechanism employs a planar linkage driven by a single motor to reduce air resistance and manufacturing complexity, while the wing extension and retraction mechanism uses a crank-rocker mechanism to achieve passive motion, simulating biological characteristics and leveraging flapping inertia. This design balances bionic effectiveness with engineering practicality, providing a reference for research on bionic aircraft. Future improvements could focus on lightweight design and flight stability to expand its application prospects.