Project Robo Raven:

Endowing Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicles

with New Capabilities

Satyandra K. Gupta

Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department

University of Southern California

Hugh A. Bruck

Department of Mechanical Engineering

University of Maryland

Robo Raven I

• Goal: Develop a highly

maneuverable flapping wing

aerial vehicle

• Accomplishments:

─ Developed a raven-size platform

─ Demonstrated outdoor flight with

programmable wings

─ Used independent wing control to

perform aerobatics

─ Demonstrated use of 3D printing for

realizing complex lightweight

structural members

─ Vehicle Characteristics

o Vehicle weight = 290g

o Flight speed = 6.7 m/s

o Flight time = 4 minutes 45 secondsFirst Flight in April 2013

See Videos athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjOWpwbnmTw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhsXul39DZg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGoyZoKWuVI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjOWpwbnmTwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhsXul39DZghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGoyZoKWuVI

Robo Raven II(Work done in Collaboration with Army Research Lab)

• Goal: Increase system-level

performance through

subsystem interaction

modeling and optimization

• Accomplishments:

─ Increased payload

─ Increased flight endurance

─ Demonstrated flight in cold

conditions

─ Vehicle Characteristics

o Vehicle weight = 272 - 350g

o Flight speed = 6.7 m/s

o Estimated flight time = 15 minutes

Battery

voltage

current

Wings

position

velocity

Code

custom kinematics

multiple flapping modes

Tail

yaw

elevator

Body

airspeed

attitude

altitude

position

See Video athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6ga9hxm6FY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsMSxowdqe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6ga9hxm6FYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsMSxowdqe8

• Goal: Use on-board solar cells

to charge batteries for Robo

Raven

• Accomplishments:

─ Demonstrated flight with

multifunctional wings with

integrated solar cells

─ Demonstrated feasibility of flying

using power generated by high

efficiency flexible solar cells

Robo Raven III

See Videos at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ICOCfPIm8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1_mPe8Y0V4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8x8P5F3qTI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1_mPe8Y0V4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8x8P5F3qTI

Robo Raven IV

• Goal: Implement autonomous

loitering, trajectory following,

and dive maneuvers on Robo

Raven

• Accomplishments:

─ Demonstrated flight with sensors

and autopilot

─ Demonstrated autonomous

waypoint navigation

─ Demonstrated autonomous

loitering

─ Demonstrated autonomous dives

See Videos at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ0sOFI5suw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLAMqNg4lGs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ0sOFI5suwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLAMqNg4lGs

Robo Raven V

• Goal: Develop takeoff capability,

increase payload capacity and

expand maneuverability

• Accomplishments:

─ Demonstrated significant increase

in thrust production by using

propellers

─ Demonstrated significant increase

in payload

o Payload capacity: 224 g

─ Demonstrated increased agility of

platform

See Video athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yryz8PSAwmA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yryz8PSAwmA

References

• A.E. Holness, H.A. Bruck and S.K. Gupta. Characterizing and modeling the enhancement of lift and payload

capacity resulting from thrust augmentation in a propeller-assisted flapping wing air vehicle, Accepted for

publication in International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles, doi:10.1177/1756829317734836.

• L.J. Roberts, H.A.Bruck and S.K. Gupta. Modeling of dive maneuvers for executing autonomous dives with a

flapping wing unmanned aerial vehicle. Accepted for publication in ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

doi:10.1115/1.4037760.

• J.W. Gerdes, H.A. Bruck, S.K. Gupta. Improving prediction of flapping-wing motion by incorporating actuator

constraints with models of aerodynamic loads using in-flight data. ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics;

9(2):021011-021011-11, doi:10.1115/1.4035994, 2017.

• J.W. Gerdes, H.A. Bruck, S.K. Gupta. Experimental Power Model Identification of a Flapping Wing Air Vehicle

With Flight Test Data. ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Cleveland, OH, August 2017.

• J.W. Gerdes, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Validation of flight power modeling by direct measurement of a

flapping wing aerial vehicle. AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, AIAA SciTech Forum, Texas,

January 2017.

• L. Roberts, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Using a large two degree of freedom tail for autonomous aerobatics on

a flapping wing unmanned serial vehicle. ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Charlotte, NC, August

2016.

• J. Gerdes, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Instrumenting a flapping wing air vehicle system for free flight

measurement. ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Charlotte, NC, August 2016.

• A. Holness, E. Steins, H.A. Bruck, M. Peckerar, and S.K. Gupta. Performance characterization of

multifunctional wings with integrated flexible batteries for flapping wing unmanned air vehicles. ASME

Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Charlotte, NC, August 2016.

• A. Perez-Rosado, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Integrating solar cells into flapping wing air vehicles for

enhanced flight endurance. ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 8(10):051006, October 2016.

.

References (Cont.)

• A. Perez-Rosado, R. D. Gehlhar, S. Nolen, S. K. Gupta, and H. A. Bruck. Design, fabrication, and

characterization of multifunctional wings to harvest solar energy in flapping wing air vehicles. Smart Materials

and Structures, 24(6):065042, 2015.

• A. Holness, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Design of propeller-assisted flapping wing air vehicles for enhanced

aerodynamic performance. ASME Mechanism and Robotics Conference, Boston, MA, August 2015.

• J.W. Gerdes, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. A systematic exploration of wing size on flapping wing air vehicle

performance. ASME Mechanism and Robotics Conference, Boston, MA, August 2015.

• A. Perez-Rosado, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Enhancing the Design of Solar-powered Flapping Wing Air

Vehicles using Multifunctional Structural Components. ASME Mechanism and Robotics Conference, Boston,

MA, doi: 10.1115/DETC2015-47570, August 2015

• J.W. Gerdes, A. Holness, A. Perez-Rosado, L. Roberts, A. Greisinger, E. Barnett, J. Kempny, D. Lingam,

C.H. Yeh, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Robo Raven: A flapping wing air vehicle with highly compliant and

independently controlled wings. Soft Robotics, 1(4):275--288, 2014.

• L. Roberts, H.A. Bruck, S.K. Gupta. Autonomous loitering control for a flapping wing aerial vehicle with

independent wing control. ASME Mechanism and Robotics Conference, Buffalo, NY, August 2014.

• Perez-Rosado, A.G.J. Griesinger, H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Performance characterization of multifunctional

wings with integrated solar cells for miniature air vehicles. ASME Mechanism and Robotics Conference,

Buffalo, NY, August 2014.

• J.W. Gerdes, L. Roberts, E. Barnett. J. Kempny, A. Perez-Rosado H.A. Bruck, and S.K. Gupta. Wing

performance characterization for flapping wing air vehicles. ASME Mechanism and Robotics Conference,

Portland, OR, August 2013.

Team

Luke Roberts

John Gerdes

Alex Holness Ariel Perez-Rosado

Hugh A. BruckSatyandra K, Gupta

Sponsors