To be as nimble as a bee: A bio-inspired sensory-motor system for gust control of Micro Air Vehicles

Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) with bio-inspired flapping wing propulsion are researched as they have the potential to overcome important deficiencies of commonly used multi-rotor MAV designs, namely low efficiency in cruising flight and flight difficulties in confined and gusty environments. In this project we aim at developing novel insect-inspired flight control mechanisms that are in particular adapted for gust rejection. Benefitting from a tight collaboration of aerospace engineers and experimental biologists, we will reverse-engineer the gust control system of flying insects and use this as bio-inspiration to develop control algorithms for flapping-wing MAVs. An MAV based on the existing DelFly design of TU Delft, augmented with bio-inspired wing actuation and sensory systems, will be developed in parallel and will serve as a test platform for the developed algorithms. At the end of the project, we aim to have a bio-inspired MAV prototype with flapping-wing actuation and an autonomous gust rejection system.