Running with Flapping Wings:
The effect of flapping wings on a hexapedal legged platform
DASH+Wings, a small flapping wing, legged running robot derived from the Dynamic Autonomous Sprawled Hexapod (DASH) was developed to study the effects of flapping wings on legged locomotion. Our results have shown that flapping wings can improve running speed (1.9X) and increase the maximum incline angle of ascent (3X). Overall running stability is also improved with the addition of flapping wings. DASH+Wings provided a unique insight into the area of avian flight evolution, allowing direct evaluation of the consequences of wing flapping for locomotor performance in both running and gliding. DASH+Wings also provided valuable design insights towards the creation of a hybrid platform capable of both aerial and terrestrial locomotion.
Additional details can be found in our paper published in Bioinspiration and Biomimetics - A wing-assisted running robot and implications for avian flight evolution. Publicity information can be found here.