Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
    • F-L
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
    • M-S
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
    • T-Z
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    • March 2025
    • Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    • Showcase 2025
    • September 2024
    • June 2024
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Subscribe to magazine Subscribe to email newsletter Media Pack
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    1. March 2025
    2. Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    3. Showcase 2025
    4. September 2024
    5. June 2024
    6. March 2024
    7. Archive Issues
    8. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    19th March 2025

    In this issue: March 2025

    Online Magazines By Ben Sampson
    Recent

    In this issue: March 2025

    19th March 2025
    contents and front cover of magazine

    In this issue: December / January 2025

    19th December 2024
    Showcase 2025

    In this issue – Showcase 2025

    6th November 2024
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
Drones & Air Taxis Technology Videos

Researchers test flapping wing ornithopter drone

Ben SampsonBy Ben Sampson6th August 20203 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

A group of researchers from Asia and Australia have developed and tested a flapping wing ornithopter that mimics one of the world’s fastest birds, the swift.

The prototype drone, which weighs just 26g and is similar in size to a swift has been optimized to fly in cluttered environments near humans, with the ability to glide, hover at very low power and stop quickly from fast speeds, avoiding collisions – manoeuvres that quadcopter drones struggle to perform.

The researchers claim the ornithopter can hover, dart, glide, brake and dive just like a swift, making it more versatile, safer and quieter than existing quadcopters.

According to the researchers, the biologically-inspired drones could be used in applications such as the pollination of indoor vertical farms without damaging dense vegetation, chasing birds away from airports and surveillance.

The project which was led by National University of Singapore research scientist Dr Yao-Wei Chin said, “The optimized ornithopter acts as a kind of scarecrow, greatly saving on labour costs for pest control companies and airport operators.”

By improving the design so ornithopters can now produce enough thrust to hover and to carry a camera and accompanying electronics, the flapping wing drone could be used for crowd and traffic monitoring, information gathering and surveying forests and wildlife.

The light weight and the slow beating wings of the ornithopter poses less danger to the public than quadcopter drones in the event of a crash and given sufficient thrust and power banks it could be modified to carry different payloads depending on what is required.

Researcher Javaan Chahl professor of sensor systems at the University of South Australia in Adelaide said, “There are existing ornithopters but until now, they were too inefficient and slow to be agile. We have overcome these issues with our flapping wing prototype, achieving the same thrust generated by a propeller.

“Flapping wings can lift like an aeroplane wing, while making thrust like a propeller and braking like a parachute. We have put this together to replicate the aggressive flight patterns of birds by simple tail control.”

However, Chin said that the researchers are a long way from entirely replicating biological flight: “Although ornithopters are the closest to biological flight with their flapping wing propulsion, birds and insects have multiple sets of muscles which enable them to fly incredibly fast, fold their wings, twist, open feather slots and save energy.

“Their wing agility allows them to turn their body in mid-air while still flapping at different speeds and angles.

“Common swifts can cruise at a maximum speed of 31 meters a second, equivalent to 112km/h or 90mph.

“At most, I would say we are replicating 10% of biological flight,” he said.

The paper “Efficient flapping wing drone arrests high speed flight using post-stall soaring” was published in the July issue of the journal Science Robotics.

The project was a culmination of  PhD work done by Dr Yao-Wei Chin at Nanyang Technological University under the guidance of Associate Professor Gih-Keong Lau (now with National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan), and an international collaboration comprising Professor Boo Cheong Khoo (National University of Singapore), Professor Javaan Chahl and Dr Jia Ming Kok (University of South Australia and Defence Science and Technology Group, Australia), Dr Yong-Qiang Zhu (Qingdao University of Technology, China) and Dr Woei Leong Chan (National University of Singapore).

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleBoom Supersonic and Rolls-Royce agree on new collaboration
Next Article FAA proposes design changes for Boeing 737 Max
Ben Sampson

Ben has worked as a journalist and editor, covering technology, engineering and industry for the last 20 years. Initially writing about subjects from nuclear submarines to autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies, he was editor of a leading UK-based engineering magazine before becoming editor of Aerospace Testing in 2017.

Related Posts

Drones & Air Taxis

Wisk and NASA to partner on US autonomous flight operations and standards

20th May 20252 Mins Read
News

US range opened to boost hypersonic and laser weapon testing

19th May 20252 Mins Read
Drones & Air Taxis

Cranfield team advances in global eVTOL challenge

19th May 20253 Mins Read
Latest Posts

Deutsche rolls out D328eco test aircraft

28th May 2025
Beta Technologies demonstrated its Alia CX300 electric aircraft at Shannon Airport

Beta flies CX300 electric aircraft in Ireland

28th May 2025

Golden Dome: An explanation of the proposed US missile defense system

28th May 2025
Supplier Spotlights
Our Social Channels
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Getting in Touch
  • Subscribe To Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Media Pack
Related Topics
  • Aircraft Interiors
  • Business Jet Interiors
FREE WEEKLY NEWS EMAIL!

Get the 'best of the week' from this website direct to your inbox every Wednesday

© 2023 Mark Allen Group Ltd | All Rights Reserved
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.