Visualization of Flapping Wing of the Drone Beetle

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kitagawa, K. | Sakakibara, M. | Yasuhara, M.

Affiliations: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aichi Institute of Technology, 1247 Yachigusa, Yakusa, Toyota, Aichi 4700392, Japan. E-mail: kitagawa@aitech.ac.jp | Graduate student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aichi Institute of Technology, Japan

Abstract: Investigation of flapping wings of insect are focused on low Reynolds number effect and the unsteady aerodynamic properties. Interaction between flapping wing of insects and the air flow became one of important and fundamental research topics in micro air vehicle. The present work is aim to investigate the flow behavior of flapping wings of tethered scarab beetle. The generation mechanisms of velocity field and vortex formation are visualized with smoke-wire method. Tethered flight of the drone beetle shows the motion with elastic deformation of flapping wing. Measured flapping frequency is about 71 Hz and its frequency is higher than for dragonfly and butterfly. Beetle decreases negative lift by feathering motion in the upstroke process and increase positive lift by effect of wake capture in the downstroke process.

Keywords: insect flight, drone beetle, flow visualization, biofluid mechanics, micro air vehicle

Journal: Journal of Visualization, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 393-400, 2009