Abstract
An insect can perform various flight maneuvers. However, the aerodynamic force generated by real insect wings during free flight has never been measured directly. In this study, we present the direct measurement of the four points of the differential pressures acting on the wing surface of a flying insect. A small-scale differential pressure sensor of 1.0mm × 1.0mm× 0.3mm in size was developed using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and was attached to a butterfly wing. Total weight of the sensor chip and the flexible electrode on the wing was 4.5mg, which was less than 10% of the wing weight. Four points on the wing were chosen as measurement points, and one sensor chip was attached in each flight experiment. During takeoff, the wing's flapping motion induced a periodic and symmetric differential pressure between upstroke and downstroke. The average absolute value of the local differential pressure differed significantly with the location: 7.4 Pa at the forewing tip, 5.5 Pa at the forewing center, 2.1 Pa at the forewing root and 2.1 Pa at the hindwing center. The instantaneous pressure at the forewing tip reached 10 Pa, which was ten times larger than wing loading of the butterfly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 036020 |
| Journal | Bioinspiration and Biomimetics |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 Sep 1 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Medicine
- Engineering (miscellaneous)
Cite this
Differential pressure distribution measurement with an MEMS sensor on a free-flying butterfly wing. / Takahashi, Hidetoshi; Tanaka, Hiroto; Matsumoto, Kiyoshi; Shimoyama, Isao.
In: Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, Vol. 7, No. 3, 036020, 01.09.2012.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Differential pressure distribution measurement with an MEMS sensor on a free-flying butterfly wing
AU - Takahashi, Hidetoshi
AU - Tanaka, Hiroto
AU - Matsumoto, Kiyoshi
AU - Shimoyama, Isao
PY - 2012/9/1
Y1 - 2012/9/1
N2 - An insect can perform various flight maneuvers. However, the aerodynamic force generated by real insect wings during free flight has never been measured directly. In this study, we present the direct measurement of the four points of the differential pressures acting on the wing surface of a flying insect. A small-scale differential pressure sensor of 1.0mm × 1.0mm× 0.3mm in size was developed using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and was attached to a butterfly wing. Total weight of the sensor chip and the flexible electrode on the wing was 4.5mg, which was less than 10% of the wing weight. Four points on the wing were chosen as measurement points, and one sensor chip was attached in each flight experiment. During takeoff, the wing's flapping motion induced a periodic and symmetric differential pressure between upstroke and downstroke. The average absolute value of the local differential pressure differed significantly with the location: 7.4 Pa at the forewing tip, 5.5 Pa at the forewing center, 2.1 Pa at the forewing root and 2.1 Pa at the hindwing center. The instantaneous pressure at the forewing tip reached 10 Pa, which was ten times larger than wing loading of the butterfly.
AB - An insect can perform various flight maneuvers. However, the aerodynamic force generated by real insect wings during free flight has never been measured directly. In this study, we present the direct measurement of the four points of the differential pressures acting on the wing surface of a flying insect. A small-scale differential pressure sensor of 1.0mm × 1.0mm× 0.3mm in size was developed using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and was attached to a butterfly wing. Total weight of the sensor chip and the flexible electrode on the wing was 4.5mg, which was less than 10% of the wing weight. Four points on the wing were chosen as measurement points, and one sensor chip was attached in each flight experiment. During takeoff, the wing's flapping motion induced a periodic and symmetric differential pressure between upstroke and downstroke. The average absolute value of the local differential pressure differed significantly with the location: 7.4 Pa at the forewing tip, 5.5 Pa at the forewing center, 2.1 Pa at the forewing root and 2.1 Pa at the hindwing center. The instantaneous pressure at the forewing tip reached 10 Pa, which was ten times larger than wing loading of the butterfly.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84863617399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/1748-3182/7/3/036020
DO - 10.1088/1748-3182/7/3/036020
M3 - Article
C2 - 22711175
AN - SCOPUS:84863617399
VL - 7
JO - Bioinspiration and Biomimetics
JF - Bioinspiration and Biomimetics
SN - 1748-3182
IS - 3
M1 - 036020
ER -