Flapping robot and method of flight thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to a flapping-wing robot, which comprises a fuselage, flapping-wing mechanisms arranged on both sides of the fuselage, the flapping-wing mechanisms comprising first flapping wings and second flapping wings, the first flapping wings and the second flapping wings each comprising first swing rods, second swing rods and a plurality of wing ribs, the first swing rods and the second swing rods each being hinged to the fuselage, the plurality of wing ribs being arranged along the length direction of the first swing rods, the first swing rods and the second swing rods each being fixedly connected to the wing ribs, the first swing rods being located at the front ends of the wing ribs, the first flapping wings and the second flapping wings each being sleeved with a skin, a tail wing mechanism arranged at the tail of the fuselage, a driving mechanism arranged on the fuselage, a control system arranged on the fuselage and electrically connected to the driving mechanism and the tail wing mechanism, and a power module arranged on the fuselage. The present application also relates to a flying method. The present application can more directly resist the head-on resistance borne by the wing surface during flight, greatly improves the overall bending and torsional stiffness of the flapping-wing mechanism, and belongs to the technical field of bionic aircrafts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of biomimetic aircraft technology, and in particular to a flapping-wing robot and its flight method. Background Technology

[0002] As a type of biomimetic flight device, flapping-wing flying robots generate lift and propulsion by simulating the flight postures of birds, insects, and other organisms. Compared with traditional fixed-wing and rotary-wing flying robots, they have advantages such as high mobility, good concealment, and outstanding adaptability to complex environments. They have broad application prospects in many fields such as environmental monitoring, resource exploration, emergency rescue, and marine inspection.

[0003] Currently, research on flapping-wing flying robots mainly focuses on micro and small-to-medium-sized models, with their biomimetic designs often inspired by insects or small birds. These flapping-wing robots, thanks to their compact structural design, possess good low-speed flight performance and agile maneuverability, demonstrating certain application value in laboratory verification and short-range reconnaissance scenarios. However, their overall design philosophy, centered on short flight time and light payload, makes it difficult to adapt to broader engineering application needs.

[0004] Limited by the size and structure of micro and small flapping-wing robots, their wing design has significant limitations, with generally low aspect ratios resulting in low aerodynamic efficiency and an inability to achieve efficient gliding flight. During flight, they rely on continuous, high-frequency flapping motions to generate lift and propulsion, which not only significantly increases energy consumption but also severely limits their endurance, making it difficult to complete long-distance flight missions. Furthermore, these robots have limited payload capacity, preventing them from carrying more functional equipment (such as high-definition monitoring cameras and environmental sensors), further restricting the expansion of their application range.

[0005] In summary, existing flapping-wing flying robots have technical defects such as small wing aspect ratio, limited aerodynamic efficiency, insufficient load capacity, high flight energy consumption, and short endurance, making it difficult to meet the needs of engineering application scenarios such as marine inspection and long-distance environmental monitoring. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a flapping-wing robot and its flight method, aiming to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] The technical solution of this invention is a flapping-wing robot, comprising: a fuselage; flapping-wing mechanisms symmetrically rotatably disposed on both sides of the fuselage, the flapping-wing mechanisms including a first flapping wing and a second flapping wing, both the first flapping wing and the second flapping wing including a first swing arm, a second swing arm and multiple wing ribs, the first swing arm and the second swing arm being hinged to the fuselage, the multiple wing ribs being arranged along the length direction of the first swing arm; both the first swing arm and the second swing arm passing through the wing ribs and being fixedly connected to the wing ribs; the first swing arm being located at the front end of the wing ribs, and both the first flapping wing and the second flapping wing being covered with a skin; a tail wing mechanism rotatably disposed at the rear of the fuselage for enhancing flight stability and directional control; a drive mechanism disposed on the fuselage for driving the flapping-wing mechanisms; a control system disposed on the fuselage and electrically connected to the drive mechanism and the tail wing mechanism; and a power module disposed on the fuselage for providing power to the flapping-wing robot.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first swing arm is located in front of the second swing arm, the distance between the ends of the first swing arm and the second swing arm near the fuselage is greater than the distance between the ends away from the fuselage, and two adjacent ribs are arranged in parallel and spaced apart, but the two ribs away from the fuselage are located close to one end of the first swing arm.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the wingspan is between 2.5 meters and 4 meters, and the aspect ratio is between 10 and 15.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a bracket is fixedly mounted on the body; the drive mechanism includes: a drive member fixed on the bracket; a secondary gear transmission assembly mounted on the bracket, the input end of the secondary gear transmission assembly being drively connected to the output end of the drive member; and a first crank assembly, the output end of the secondary gear transmission assembly being connected to the input end of the first crank assembly, and the output end of the first crank assembly being connected to the first rocker arm.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the bracket includes two bracket plates, which are respectively fixedly attached to both sides of the machine body, and a plurality of spacer supports are fixedly connected between the two bracket plates. The secondary gear transmission assembly is disposed on the inner side of the two bracket plates.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the secondary gear transmission assembly includes an input gear that is driven and connected to the output end of the drive member, a driven gear that meshes with the input gear, an intermediate shaft gear that is driven and connected to the driven gear on the same axis, an output gear that meshes with the intermediate shaft gear, and an output shaft that is driven and connected to the output gear on the same axis. The output shaft is disposed on the bracket and is driven and connected to the input end of the first crank assembly.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, both ends of the output shaft extend outside the bracket, and there are two first crank assemblies. Each first crank assembly includes: a first crank, one end of which is fixedly connected to the end of the output shaft corresponding to the first crank; and a first connecting rod, the lower end of which is hinged to the other end of the first crank, and the upper end of which is hinged to the end of the first rocker arm near the body.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the tail fin mechanism includes: a support base fixedly mounted on the tail of the fuselage; a servo motor disposed on the support base; a tail fin rotatably connected to the tail of the support base; a second crank assembly is connected between the tail fin and the servo motor, the second crank assembly including: a second crank, one end of the second crank being drively connected to the output end of the servo motor; a second connecting rod, one end of the second connecting rod being hinged to the other end of the second crank, and the other end of the second connecting rod being hinged to the tail fin.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a transverse bracket is rotatably provided between the support base and the tail fin, the transverse bracket is provided with a vertical axis and a vertical shaft, the support base is hinged to the transverse bracket through the vertical shaft, and the front end of the tail fin is hinged to the transverse bracket through the transverse shaft.

[0016] A flight method employing the flapping-wing robot described in any of the above embodiments includes the following flight phases: Takeoff phase, where the control system controls the drive mechanism to operate at a first rotational speed to generate lift and thrust in flapping-wing mode, and coordinates with the pitch control of the tail fin mechanism for climbing; Cruise and turning phase, where the control system adjusts the rotational speed of the drive mechanism based on flight status feedback to maintain flapping-wing flight, and controls the attitude by controlling the deflection of the tail fin mechanism; Gliding switching phase, where when gliding conditions are detected, the control system controls the drive mechanism to decelerate to a stop, causing the flapping-wing robot to switch from flapping-wing mode to gliding mode; When gliding conditions are not met or the altitude is below a threshold, the drive mechanism is restarted to restore flapping-wing mode.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention include: This invention, by setting a first swing arm and a second swing arm hinged to the fuselage, and multiple ribs arranged along the length of the first swing arm, and in conjunction with the skin to form a complete wing aerodynamic shape, enables the flapping-wing robot to achieve higher aerodynamic efficiency during flight. The first swing arm, located at the front end of the ribs, constitutes the main load-bearing component of the wing's leading edge, and can more directly counteract the frontal drag experienced by the wing surface during flight. This significantly improves the overall bending and torsional stiffness of the flapping-wing mechanism, especially under high-drag conditions such as flapping or diving, effectively suppressing skin surface vibration and torsional deformation, thereby avoiding a decrease in aerodynamic efficiency due to insufficient structural stiffness.

[0018] Furthermore, additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a general schematic diagram of a flapping-wing robot according to an embodiment of the present invention with the left side skin removed.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a partial top view of the present invention with the fuselage, skin, and some spacer support members removed.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of point B.

[0023] Figure 5 A top view of the left wing without its skin.

[0024] The above figures include the following reference numerals.

[0025] 100. Fuselage; 110. First hinge seat; 111. First hinge shaft; 120. Second hinge seat; 121. Second hinge shaft; 130. Bracket; 131. Bracket plate; 132. Spacer support; 200. Flapping wing mechanism; 210. First swing arm; 211. Swing arm head; 212. Hinge window; 213. Linkage hinge shaft; 220. Second swing arm; 230. Wing rib; 240. Skin; 300. Drive mechanism; 310. Drive component; 320. Secondary gear transmission assembly; 321. Input gear; 322. Driven gear; 323. Intermediate shaft gear; 324. Output gear; 325. Output shaft; 326. Intermediate shaft; 330. First crank assembly; 331. First crank; 332. First connecting rod; 333. Spherical bearing; 400, Tail wing mechanism; 410, Support base; 420, Servo motor; 430, Tail wing; 440, Second crank assembly; 441, Second crank; 442, Second connecting rod; 450, Lateral support; 451, Lateral shaft; 452, Vertical shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following will provide a clear and complete description of the concept, specific structure, and technical effects of the present invention in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, solution, and effects of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0027] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, when a feature is referred to as "fixed" or "connected" to another feature, it can be directly fixed or connected to the other feature, or indirectly fixed or connected to the other feature. Furthermore, the descriptions of "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," and "bottom" used in this invention are only relative to the relative positional relationships of the various components of the invention in the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and not for limiting the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any combination of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this disclosure to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish elements of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first element may also be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element.

[0030] In the existing technology, biomimetic research on the flight mechanism of large gliding birds (such as albatrosses) is relatively scarce, especially in key areas such as high aspect ratio wing structure design, flapping-gliding coordinated flight control, and low-energy long-endurance flight, where mature technical solutions have not yet been formed. However, the high aspect ratio wings and flapping-gliding coordinated flight mode possessed by large gliding birds can effectively improve aerodynamic efficiency, reduce flight energy consumption, and extend endurance. Their flight characteristics can precisely compensate for the shortcomings of existing micro and small-to-medium-sized flapping-wing robots. Therefore, this invention proposes a flapping-wing robot and its flight method. The flapping-wing robot of this invention is mainly biomimetic to large gliding birds.

[0031] Reference Figures 1 to 5In some embodiments, a flapping-wing robot according to the present invention includes: a fuselage 100, which provides overall structural support; and flapping-wing mechanisms 200 symmetrically rotatably disposed on both sides of the fuselage 100, the flapping-wing mechanisms 200 including a first flapping wing and a second flapping wing. Preferably, the first flapping wing is the left wing and the second flapping wing is the right wing. Both the first and second flapping wings include a first swing arm 210, a second swing arm 220, and multiple wing ribs 230. The first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 220 are both carbon fiber rods. Both the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 220 are hinged to the fuselage 100. First hinge seats 110 are provided on both sides of fuselage 100, and first swing arms 210 are rotatably connected to the first hinge seats 110 via first hinge shafts 111. Second hinge seats 120 are provided on both sides of fuselage 100, and second swing arms 220 are connected to the second hinge seats 120 via second hinge shafts 121. Multiple wing ribs 230 are arranged along the length of the first swing arms 210. Preferably, the wing ribs 230 are curved frame structures with a streamlined shape, a rounded front end, and a pointed rear end, which significantly reduces air resistance. The first swing arms 210 are fixed inside the curved frame structure. The first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 220 are fixed with holes for the first and second swing arms 220. Both the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 220 pass through the wing rib 230 and are fixedly connected to the wing rib 230 with fastening glue. Specifically, the first swing arm 210 passes through the first swing arm 210 fixing hole, and the second swing arm 220 passes through the second swing arm 220 fixing hole. The first swing arm 210 fixing hole is located at the front end of the wing rib 230, that is, the first swing arm 210 is located at the front end of the wing rib 230. Both the first flapping wing and the second flapping wing are fitted with skin 240, which is a lightweight membrane material, so that the flapping wing mechanism 200 can maintain overall strength and rigidity. While maintaining a certain degree of flexibility, it generates beneficial deformation during flapping, improving aerodynamic efficiency and effectively reducing the overall weight of the flapping wing mechanism 200. A tail wing mechanism 400, rotating at the rear of the fuselage 100, enhances flight stability and directional control. A drive mechanism 300, mounted on the fuselage 100, drives the flapping wing mechanism 200. A control system, mounted on the fuselage 100, is electrically connected to the drive mechanism 300 and the tail wing mechanism 400. A power module, which can be a battery, is mounted on the fuselage 100 to provide power to the flapping wing robot. The first swing arm 210 of this invention is located at the front end of the wing rib 230, constituting the main load-bearing component of the wing leading edge. It can more directly counteract the frontal drag borne by the wing surface during flight, greatly improving the overall bending and torsional stiffness of the flapping wing mechanism 200. Especially under high drag conditions such as flapping or diving, it can effectively suppress surface vibration and torsional deformation of the skin 240, thereby avoiding a decrease in aerodynamic efficiency due to insufficient structural stiffness.Compared with existing flapping-wing robots, it not only realizes the basic function of flapping-wing flight, but also significantly improves flight stability and directional controllability through biomimetic structure (large gliding birds). Due to the coordinated cooperation of various mechanisms, it can switch between flapping-wing mode and gliding mode, thereby saving energy and extending the endurance.

[0032] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first swing arm 210 is located in front of the second swing arm 220. Preferably, the first swing arm 210 swings in a vertical plane perpendicular to the forward flight direction. The diameter of the first swing arm 210 is larger than that of the second swing arm 220. The distance between the ends of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 220 near the fuselage 100 is greater than the distance between the ends away from the fuselage 100. Two adjacent ribs 230 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart, but the two ribs 230 away from the fuselage 100 are located close to one end of the first swing arm 210. Preferably, the ends of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 220 away from the fuselage 100 are close together, forming a stable triangular structure between the first swing arm 210, the second swing arm 220, and the fuselage 100, thereby improving the rigidity and stability of the flapping wing. Especially at the tail of the flapping wing mechanism 200, two wing ribs 230 are located close to one end of the first swing arm 210, that is, the last wing rib 230 is set at an angle. These two wing ribs 230 also form a locally stable triangular structure, which also improves the tail rigidity and stability of the flapping wing mechanism 200 and is more conducive to suppressing torsional deformation.

[0033] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of wing ribs 230 are arranged sequentially along the length direction of the first sway bar 210. Except for the last wing rib 230 which is inclined, the length of the remaining wing ribs 230 gradually decreases in the direction away from the fuselage 100, in order to mimic the geometry of a bird's wing. The wing root region provides the main lift, and the wingtip region reduces the intensity of the wingtip vortex.

[0034] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the wingspan is between 2.5 meters and 4 meters, and the aspect ratio is between 10 and 15. In the art, wingspan refers to the lateral length of the flapping wing mechanism 200 after it is fully extended; the aspect ratio is the ratio of the square of the wingspan to the area of ​​the flapping wing mechanism 200. Preferably, the large gliding bird inspired by the present invention is the albatross, with adult albatrosses exceeding 1 meter in length and a wingspan of over 3 meters. In a preferred embodiment, the wingspan is 3.2 meters, the area of ​​the flapping wing mechanism 200 is 81.2 square decimeters, and the aspect ratio is 12.61. Compared with existing small flapping-wing aircraft or low aspect ratio designs, the large wingspan and high aspect ratio structure of the present invention directly brings about a significant improvement in gliding performance, significantly increasing the lift-to-drag ratio and aerodynamic efficiency of the aircraft, enhancing gliding capability, and making it suitable for efficient cruise flight; enabling the flapping-wing robot to maintain long-distance flight with a lower sink rate in gliding mode, more realistically simulating the flight characteristics of large gliding birds.

[0035] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a bracket 130 is fixedly mounted on the fuselage 100; the drive mechanism 300 includes: a drive member 310 fixed on the bracket 130; preferably, the drive member 310 is a motor; a secondary gear transmission assembly 320 is mounted on the bracket 130, the input end of the secondary gear transmission assembly 320 is connected to the output end of the drive member 310; a first crank assembly 330 is provided, the output end of the secondary gear transmission assembly 320 is connected to the input end of the first crank assembly 330, and the output end of the first crank assembly 330 is connected to the first swing arm 210. The secondary gear transmission can realize speed regulation and torque amplification, thereby driving the large flapping wing mechanism 200 to flap stably. At the same time, the first crank assembly 330 efficiently converts the rotational motion into the reciprocating oscillation of the flapping wing mechanism 200, thereby driving the flapping wing mechanism 200 to flap up and down, ensuring that the flapping frequency and torque match those of a biomimetic large gliding bird. Preferably, the drive mechanism 300 is installed at the front of the fuselage 100 and forms a stable and reliable transmission connection with the flapping wing mechanism 200, which shortens the power transmission path, ensures the efficient transmission of power from the drive mechanism 300 to the flapping wing mechanism 200, and at the same time ensures the synchronization and stability of the flapping wing movement.

[0036] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the support 130 includes two support plates 131, which are fixedly attached to both sides of the fuselage 100, such that the surface direction of the support plates 131 is substantially consistent with the forward direction of the flapping-wing robot, rather than perpendicular to the forward direction. Multiple spacer supports 132 are fixedly connected between the two support plates 131. Multiple weight-reduction holes are formed on the support plates 131, and the support 130 is hollowed out to reduce flight drag. A secondary gear transmission assembly 320 is disposed on the inner side of the two support plates 131. When the flapping-wing robot flies forward, the airflow flows along the forward direction past both sides of the fuselage 100. Because the support plates 131 are arranged in the windward direction, their frontal area is significantly reduced, thereby effectively reducing aerodynamic drag during flight. Correspondingly, the drive mechanism 300 does not need to overcome the large drag generated by the vertical windward movement of the support plates 131, allowing the output power of the drive component 310 (motor) to be more efficiently converted into flapping lift and thrust, resulting in lower power consumption at the same flight speed or longer endurance with the same amount of power. Meanwhile, reduced drag also means a lower mechanical load on the drive mechanism 300 and the entire aircraft, which helps improve the working stability and service life of the transmission system. Therefore, this structural feature, by optimizing the orientation of the support plate 131, directly produces the technical effects of reducing flight drag, saving energy, and improving flight economy.

[0037] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the body 100 adopts a long square tube structure. By optimizing the overall structural layout and the spatial arrangement of the drive mechanism 300, the effective load-bearing capacity of the robot is significantly improved.

[0038] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the secondary gear transmission assembly 320 includes an input gear 321 that is driven and connected to the output end of the drive member 310, a driven gear 322 that meshes with the input gear 321, an intermediate shaft 326 gear 323 that is coaxially driven and connected to the driven gear 322, an output gear 324 that meshes with the intermediate shaft 326 gear 323, and an output shaft 325 that is coaxially driven and connected to the output gear 324. The output shaft 325 is mounted on the bracket 130 and is driven and connected to the input end of the first crank assembly 330. Further, the secondary gear transmission assembly 320 also includes an intermediate shaft 326, which is rotatably mounted on the bracket 130 and is driven and connected to both the driven gear 322 and the intermediate shaft 326 gear 323. Preferably, the input gear 321 has a module of 0.8 and 11 teeth; the driven gear 322 has a module of 0.8 and 80 teeth; the intermediate shaft 326 gear 323 has a module of 1.25 and 9 teeth; and the output gear 324 has a module of 1.25 and 70 teeth. The gear end face of the secondary gear transmission assembly 320 is parallel to the inner side of the support plate 131, and the entire secondary gear transmission assembly 320 is housed within a narrow internal space formed by the two support plates 131. The disc-shaped structure of the gears, with a minimum windward orientation (i.e., the end face is parallel to the flight direction), significantly reduces the cutting and disturbance of the airflow in front during gear rotation; it greatly reduces the aerodynamic drag of the drive mechanism 300 during flight, thereby enabling the flapping-wing robot to achieve higher flight efficiency under the same power input, achieving the technical effects of labor saving, energy saving, and extended endurance.

[0039] According to some embodiments of the present invention, both ends of the output shaft 325 extend outside the bracket 130. There are two first crank assemblies 330, each comprising: a first crank 331, one end of which is fixedly connected to the corresponding end of the output shaft 325; and a first connecting rod 332, the lower end of which is hinged to the other end of the first crank 331, and the upper end of which is hinged to the end of the first rocker arm 210 near the body 100. Preferably, a rocker arm head 211 is provided at the end of the first rocker arm 210 near the body 100. The rocker arm head 211 includes two split heads, both ends of which are detachably connected, thereby forming a hinge window 212 in the middle. A connecting rod hinge shaft 213 is provided on the hinge window 212, and the upper end of the first connecting rod 332 is hinged to the rocker arm head 211 via the connecting rod hinge shaft 213. When the flapping-wing robot flaps its wings, the motor drives the input gear 321 to rotate, and then transmits the power sequentially through the input gear 321, driven gear 322, intermediate shaft 326, gear 323, output gear 324, and output shaft 325. Finally, the output shaft 325 drives the first crank 331 to rotate, thereby driving the first connecting rod 332 to rotate, so that the first pendulum 210 swings up and down around the hinge point with the fuselage 100. The symmetrical arrangement of the two first crank assemblies 330 ensures the high synchronization and phase consistency of the flapping of the first and second flapping wings, avoiding yaw or roll caused by the difference in the movement of the first and second flapping wings, and significantly improving flight stability.

[0040] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the tail fin mechanism 400 includes: a support base 410 fixedly mounted on the tail of the fuselage 100; a servo motor 420 disposed on the support base 410; and a tail fin 430 rotatably connected to the tail of the support base 410. A second crank assembly 440 is connected between the tail fin 430 and the servo motor 420. The second crank assembly 440 includes: a second crank 441, one end of which is drively connected to the output end of the servo motor 420; and a second connecting rod 442, one end of which is hinged to the other end of the second crank 441, and the other end of which is hinged to the tail fin 430. Preferably, two servos 420 are symmetrically disposed on the support base 410, and two second crank assemblies 440 are respectively disposed on both sides of the front end of the tail fin 430. The tail wing mechanism 400 adopts a lightweight rigid structure and works in conjunction with the control system to precisely control the deflection angle of the tail wing mechanism 400. This enables active control of attitudes such as pitch and heading changes during flight, significantly enhancing the maneuverability and wind resistance of the flapping-wing robot in different flight phases and improving the overall stability of the flapping-wing mechanism 200 during flight and gliding.

[0041] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a transverse support 450 is rotatably provided between the support base 410 and the tail fin 430. The transverse support 450 is provided with a vertical axis 452. The support base 410 is hinged to the transverse support 450 via the vertical axis 452, and the front end of the tail fin 430 is hinged to the transverse support 450 via the transverse axis 451. This allows the tail fin 430 to have both pitch and yaw rotational degrees of freedom, thereby enabling independent or coupled control of flight attitude, significantly improving the flexibility and accuracy of heading control and attitude adjustment.

[0042] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the fuselage 100 is further provided with a mission payload module for carrying sensor communication equipment or other mission function modules. Because the biomimetic large gliding bird flapping-wing robot provided by the present invention has a large overall size (wingspan of 2.5 to 4 meters) and excellent load-bearing capacity, the mission payload module can carry heavier, more, or more complex mission equipment, thereby significantly expanding the mission applicability range of the flapping-wing robot.

[0043] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the ends of the first connecting rod 332 and the second connecting rod 442 are rotatably connected to their respective hinge shafts via spherical bearings 333. Specifically, the spherical bearings 333 are sleeved and fixed on the hinge shafts, and the ends of the first connecting rod 332 and the second connecting rod 442 are provided with mounting holes, which are movably fitted onto the outer ring of the spherical bearings 333. The ends of the first connecting rod 332 and the second connecting rod 442 can rotate relative to the spherical bearings 333. By providing spherical bearings 333 at the hinge, traditional sliding friction is transformed into rolling friction or self-lubricating spherical contact friction, significantly reducing the frictional resistance during the swinging process of the first connecting rod 332 and the second connecting rod 442. Meanwhile, utilizing the self-aligning characteristic of the spherical bearing 333, the different axialities of the first connecting rod 332 and the second connecting rod 442 caused by machining errors or elastic deformation during movement can be compensated. This allows for slight rotation and sliding of the connecting rod ends on the bearing, thereby preventing jamming or abnormal wear at the hinge point and improving transmission efficiency, smoothness of movement, and service life of components. The hinge between the second swing arm 220 and the body 100 is also rotatably connected to the second hinge shaft 121 via the spherical bearing 333, which will not be described in detail here.

[0044] This invention also protects a flight method using the flapping-wing robot described in any of the above embodiments, the flight method comprising the following flight phases: Takeoff Phase: The control system operates the motors at a high initial speed, causing the flapping wing mechanism 200 to generate a high flapping frequency, thereby quickly generating lift and forward thrust. Simultaneously, the control system, in conjunction with the tail wing mechanism 400, performs pitch control, enabling the flapping-wing robot to achieve efficient climbing in a stable attitude. By controlling the motors to operate at a higher speed, the flapping frequency of the first and second flapping wings is increased, allowing the flapping-wing robot to obtain sufficient lift and thrust in a short time. Combined with the control system's pitch control of the tail wing mechanism 400, a stable and rapid climb is achieved, shortening the takeoff distance and climb time, and improving the reliability and safety of the flapping-wing robot's takeoff.

[0045] During cruise and turning phases: The control system adjusts the drive motor speed in real time based on target airspeed, flight altitude, and energy consumption status to maintain the flapping frequency at a level suitable for stable cruise. Simultaneously, closed-loop control maintains the stability of pitch, roll, and yaw angles. When turning is required, the control system primarily changes the flight direction by controlling the 400° deflection of the tail fin mechanism, and dynamically corrects the drive motor speed and flight attitude based on attitude feedback to ensure a smooth and controllable turning process. Real-time adjustment of motor speed based on flight status feedback keeps the flapping frequency at the optimal cruise level, avoiding energy waste caused by continuous high power output. Simultaneously, the 400° deflection of the tail fin mechanism and closed-loop attitude control achieve stable control in pitch, roll, and yaw dimensions, improving the stability and maneuverability of long-endurance flight. Coordinated correction of motor speed during turning further ensures smooth turning and prevents stall or sudden attitude changes.

[0046] Gliding transition phase: When the control system detects that the current altitude, airspeed, or ambient airflow conditions meet the preset gliding conditions, the control system gradually decelerates the motors until they stop, smoothly transitioning the flapping-wing robot from flapping flight mode to gliding flight mode, using aerodynamic lift to maintain flight. When the flight altitude drops below a set threshold, or the gliding conditions are no longer met, the control system restarts the motors, resuming flapping flight mode. Actively switching to gliding mode when gliding conditions are met, the motors stop working, and the flapping-wing robot relies on aerodynamic lift to maintain flight. The drive system no longer consumes electrical energy, directly resulting in a significant reduction in energy consumption and a significant extension of flight time. Timely resuming flapping mode when the altitude is too low or the gliding conditions disappear ensures the flapping-wing robot can continue flying without crashing. This adaptive switching mechanism allows the flapping-wing robot to maintain optimal energy utilization efficiency in different flight environments, making it particularly suitable for mission scenarios requiring long-term aerial operations (such as reconnaissance and monitoring).

[0047] This invention, through a phased control strategy and intelligent switching between gliding modes, significantly reduces overall energy consumption and extends endurance while ensuring flight stability and maneuverability, overcoming the shortcomings of existing flapping-wing robots, such as high energy consumption and short endurance. It has high engineering application value.

[0048] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure, as long as they achieve the same technical effects, should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure and fall under the protection scope of the present invention. Within the protection scope of the present invention, the technical solutions and / or implementation methods can have various modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A flapping-wing robot, characterized in that, include: fuselage (100); Symmetrically rotating flapping wing mechanisms (200) are arranged on both sides of the fuselage (100). The flapping wing mechanism (200) includes a first flapping wing and a second flapping wing. The first flapping wing and the second flapping wing each include a first swing rod (210), a second swing rod (220), and multiple wing ribs (230). The first swing rod (210) and the second swing rod (220) are both hinged to the fuselage (100). The multiple wing ribs (230) are arranged along the length direction of the first swing rod (210). The first swing rod (210) and the second swing rod (220) both pass through the wing ribs (230) and are fixedly connected to the wing ribs (230). The first swing rod (210) is located at the front end of the wing ribs (230). The first flapping wing and the second flapping wing are both covered with skin (240). The tail fin mechanism (400) located at the rear of the fuselage (100) is rotated to enhance flight stability and directional control; A drive mechanism (300) is provided on the fuselage (100) for driving the flapping wing mechanism (200) to move; The control system installed on the fuselage (100) is electrically connected to the drive mechanism (300) and the tail fin mechanism (400); The power module installed on the fuselage (100) is used to provide power to the flapping-wing robot.

2. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first swing arm (210) is located in front of the second swing arm (220). The distance between the ends of the first swing arm (210) and the second swing arm (220) near the fuselage (100) is greater than the distance between the ends away from the fuselage (100). Two adjacent ribs (230) are arranged in parallel and spaced apart, but the two ribs (230) away from the fuselage (100) are close to one end of the first swing arm (210).

3. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wingspan is between 2.5 meters and 4 meters, and the aspect ratio is between 10 and 15.

4. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, A bracket (130) is fixedly installed on the body (100); The drive mechanism (300) includes: A drive unit (310) fixed on the bracket (130); A secondary gear transmission assembly (320) is mounted on the bracket (130), and the input end of the secondary gear transmission assembly (320) is connected to the output end of the drive member (310). The first crank assembly (330) has its output end connected to the input end of the second-stage gear transmission assembly (320), and its output end connected to the first rocker arm (210).

5. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bracket (130) includes two bracket plates (131), which are fixedly attached to both sides of the body (100). A plurality of spacer supports (132) are fixedly connected between the two bracket plates (131), and the secondary gear transmission assembly (320) is disposed on the inner side of the two bracket plates (131).

6. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The secondary gear transmission assembly (320) includes an input gear (321) that is driven and connected to the output end of the drive unit (310), a driven gear (322) that meshes with the input gear (321), an intermediate shaft (326) gear (323) that is driven and connected to the driven gear (322) on the same axis, an output gear (324) that meshes with the intermediate shaft (326) gear (323), and an output shaft (325) that is driven and connected to the output gear (324) on the same axis. The output shaft (325) is mounted on the bracket (130) and is driven and connected to the input end of the first crank assembly (330).

7. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, Both ends of the output shaft (325) extend outside the bracket (130). There are two first crank assemblies (330), each comprising: A first crank (331), one end of which is fixedly connected to the end of the output shaft (325); The first connecting rod (332) has its lower end hinged to the other end of the first crank (331) and its upper end hinged to the end of the first rocker arm (210) near the fuselage (100).

8. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tail fin mechanism (400) includes: A support base (410) is fixedly installed at the rear of the fuselage (100); The servo motor (420) is mounted on the support base (410); A tail fin (430) rotatably connected to the tail of the support base (410); The tail fin (430) is connected to the servo (420) by a second crank assembly (440), the second crank assembly (440) including: a second crank (441), one end of the second crank (441) being drivenly connected to the output end of the servo (420); and a second connecting rod (442), one end of the second connecting rod (442) being hinged to the other end of the second crank (441), and the other end of the second connecting rod (442) being hinged to the tail fin (430).

9. The flapping-wing robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, A transverse bracket (450) is rotatably provided between the support base (410) and the tail fin (430). The transverse bracket (450) is provided with a vertical shaft (452) and a vertical axis (451). The support base (410) is hinged to the transverse bracket (450) through the vertical axis (452). The front end of the tail fin (430) is hinged to the transverse bracket (450) through the transverse axis (451).

10. A flight method, characterized in that, The flight method of the flapping-wing robot according to any one of claims 1-9 includes the following flight phases: During takeoff, the control system controls the drive mechanism (300) to operate at a first speed to generate lift and thrust in flapping wing mode, and cooperates with the pitch control of the tail wing mechanism (400) to climb. During the cruise and turning phases, the control system adjusts the rotational speed of the drive mechanism (300) based on flight status feedback to maintain flapping wing flight, and controls the attitude by controlling the deflection of the tail wing mechanism (400); During the gliding switching phase, when the gliding conditions are detected to be met, the control system controls the drive mechanism (300) to decelerate to a stop, so that the flapping-wing robot switches from flapping-wing mode to gliding mode; when the gliding conditions are not met or the altitude is below the threshold, the drive mechanism (300) is restarted to restore the flapping-wing mode.

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