The invention relates to a flight system having at least two actuated flapping wings (2), an actuated tail unit (9), a control device and an exoskeleton (1) for at least one person. The exoskeleton (1) is movable independently of the flapping wings (2). The control device is configured to receive motion sensor signals from the exoskeleton (1) and to use the motion sensor signals to define specified movement signals and to control the flapping wings (2) and/or the tail unit (9) by way of the specified movement signals. The specified movement signals can be defined such that the movements of the flapping wings (2) and/or of the tail unit (9) follow those of the exoskeleton (1).

The invention is a robotic bird that uses flapping flight for lift and propulsion. The bird has a body, two wings, tail and head with a beak in addition to on-board electronics and batteries. Each wing is controlled separately by four motors. One motor controls the flapping, one the angle of attack (wing tilt), one the degree of morphing and folding of the wing and one the horizontal motion of the wing. The tail is controlled by three servomotors, one for up and down motion, one for tilting and one for spreading the tail feathers. Thus, the bird has 11 degrees of freedom in total in its wings and tail. This design allows the use of evolutionary methods for teaching the bird to fly in a much more efficient way than has previously been possible.

A wing for use in a flapping wing aircraft, having a strut assembly including a main strut and a plurality of support struts each oriented at an angular interval between 30 degrees and 90 degrees with respect to the support strut, at least a section of the support struts having a front section, a connecting section adjacent thereto, and a rear section adjacent thereto, and wherein each of said support struts is secured to said main strut by said connecting section, and further having a group of planking members made of a resilient and dimensionally stable sheet material and connected to said strut assembly.

An aerial robot system may include an aerial robot having an airframe, a piezo actuator, a wing connected to the piezo actuator, and a photovoltaic cell. The system may further include a laser source configured to emit a laser beam oriented toward the photovoltaic cell for conversion by the photovoltaic cell into electrical energy. The aerial robot may further include a boost converter connected to the photovoltaic cell and configured to raise a voltage level of the electrical energy, and a signal generator connected to the boost converter and configured to generate an alternating signal. The piezo actuator is connected to the signal generator to move according to the alternating signal to cause the wing to move in a flapping motion to generate aerodynamic force that moves the robot. Methods for manufacturing aerial robots and corresponding electronics are also disclosed herein.

Embodiments described herein are related to a flying apparatus. The flying apparatus may include a frame support structure having an inter-wing hinge operatively coupled to a first and second wing, a center pole that bisects the inter-wing hinge, and a pair of cross rods attached to the center pole below the first and second wings. The flying apparatus may further include first and second folding hinges attached to first and second cross rods and a first movement transmission rod operatively coupled between a first end of the first folding hinge and an outer portion of the first wing, and a second movement transmission rod operatively coupled between a first end of the second folding hinge and an outer portion of the second wing, wherein actuation of the first folding hinge and the second folding hinge is to move the first and second wings one of up or down.

An ornithopter aircraft has a main body. A first wing frame mount and a second wing frame mount are mounted to the main body. A first wing frame is rotably mounted to a first wing frame axle on the first wing frame mount. The first wing frame is configured to rotate relative to the main body and the rotation can be powered. The first wing frame feathers are rotably mounted to the first wing frame at first feather axles and the first wing frame feather rotation can be powered. The first wing frame feathers are configured to rotate relative to the first wing frame and the first wing frame feather rotation can be powered. A second wing frame is configured to be rotably mounted to a second wing frame axle on the second wing frame mount.

A wing rotation structure of a flapping wing micro air vehicle, for which, wing rotations are related to and caused by wing flappings, the wing rotation structure includes: an actuator mount, a left actuator, a right actuator, a left connector, a right connector, a left flapping wing arm, a right flapping wing arm, a central base, a left rotation bevel gear, a right rotation bevel gear, a left fixed auxiliary bevel gear, a right fixed auxiliary bevel gear. Wherein, the left actuator and the right actuator are located respectively on a left side and a right side of the actuator mount. the left connector connects the left actuator to the left flapping wing arm, and the right connector connects the right actuator to the right flapping wing arm. The central base is fixed securely on the actuator mount.

Described are aerial vehicle kits and aerial vehicles comprising two or more wing units that can be driven individually. Such control of the lift and propulsion generation of each wing individually enables greater vehicle control for increased maneuverability and weather tolerance.

Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.

The application relates to an aircraft, a method, an apparatus and a computer readable storage medium for controlling the aircraft with at least one sensor arranged thereon, the method including detecting a motor state of the aircraft, acquiring at least one sensing data of the at least one sensor, and controlling the aircraft to perform a startup operation or a shutdown operation according to the motor state and the at least one sensing data, so that the aircraft can be autonomously controlled to perform the startup operation or the shutdown operation, and the user experience is improved.