Four Wings: An Insect-Sized Aerial Robot With Steering Ability and Payload Capacity for Autonomy

This letter introduces a new aerial insect-sized robot weighing 143 mg-slightly more than a honeybee-actuated by four perpendicular wings splayed outward. This arrangement gives the robot more capabilities than previous two-winged designs. These include the ability to actuate around a vertical axis (steering), and enough payload capacity (>260 mg) to carry components such as sensor packages or power systems. To validate the design, the author demonstrated steering actuation in flight, as well as hovering position control using motion capture feedback. Analysis and preliminary experiment additionally suggests that the robot may be passively stable in attitude. The letter concludes by proposing a minimal set of components the robot would need to carry to achieve either sensor-autonomous flight, or power autonomous flight powered by supercapacitors. In both cases, earlier two-winged designs do not have enough lift. This robot therefore represents a mechanical platform that is well-suited to future sensor- and power-autonomous insect robots.