Researchers at Konkuk University in South Korea have developed a flying robot called "KUBeetle-S", which looks remarkably similar to insects in shape. The robot is inspired by a horned beetle called Allomyrinadichotoma, which is a One of the largest insects in the world, weighing about 5 to 10g, the load capacity of the wings reaches 40N/m2, which is much higher than the average load of insect wings (usually about 8N/m2).
According to researchers from Konkuk University in South Korea, in order to simulate the flight of insects, they first developed a flapping wing structure. This artificial flapping wing can generate a large flapping angle and generate lift to compensate for the weight of the KUBeetle-S robot, so that Because it can fly like a horned beetle.
However, because this insect robot is different from traditional aircraft, its tail is not equipped with a control surface, so its flapping wings can only change its wing motion in the middle of the flapping motion to generate control torque.
In addition, the researchers installed a control torque generator for the insect robot, which can be electronically controlled through a control board and a feedback control system based on an algorithm developed by the researchers. It can change the robot's plane of wing travel to different states such as right, left, front, and rear, ultimately being able to orient its vertical lift as needed and generate control moments at the same time.
The researchers could also extend the robot's lifespan by choosing aerodynamically efficient wings and enlarging the wing area to match the wing loading with that of a real beetle. Up to now, the longest flight time of this robot has reached 9 minutes.
It is reported that KUBeetle-S, weighing only 15.8 grams, is the lightest two-wing robot to date. In addition to this, it may be used to study insects and better understand the mechanisms behind their movements, such as how flies can quickly bank and turn, and due to their small size, it may even be deployed in natural habitats to collect insects and Shots of other wildlife.
