Experimental Studies on Various Types of Animal Mimicking Robots

We have studied various types of animal mimicking robots, such as a fish robot, birds robot and an insect robot, since 2000. In the studies of the fish and the bird robots, optimization of the complex motions of swimming in the water and the flapping in the air were optimized in order to generate the maximum propulsion forces. In the studies of the robot of insect type, aerodynamic studies using a wind tunnel were performed. We also developed an advanced wind tunnel experimental method, by which small flapping robots of insect type can fly statically at a fixed point in the wind tunnel. It enables us to measure or observe various aerodynamic characteristics of the flapping micro air vehicles.