BionicBee Ultralight Flying Objects with Precise Control Efficient lightweight construction and filigree design At around 34 grams, a length of 220 millimeters and a wingspan of 240 millimeters, the BionicBee is the smallest flying object created by the Bionic Learning Network to date. For the first time, the developers used the method of generative design: after entering just a few parameters, a software application uses defined design principles to find the optimal structure to use as little material as necessary while maintaining the most stable construction possible. This consistent lightweight construction is essential for good maneuverability and flying time. Functional integration in a small space The bee’s body contains the compact design for the wing-beating mechanism, the communication technology, and the control components for wing beating and adaptation of the wing geometry. A brushless motor, three servo motors, the battery, the gear unit, and various circuit boards are installed in the tightest of spaces. The intelligent interaction of motors and mechanics allows, for example, the frequency of the wingbeat to be precisely adjusted for the various maneuvers. Natural flight maneuvers with four degrees of freedom The artificial bee flies with a wingbeat frequency of 15 to 20 hertz. The wings beat forwards and backwards at a 180-degree angle. The brushless motor drives the beating of the wings without play by means of a precisely guided, ultralight mechanical design. The higher the speed, the higher the wingbeat frequency and the lift. The three servo motors at the wing root change the geometry of the wing in a targeted manner, thus increasing the effectiveness in certain wing positions and leading to a specific variation of the lift generated. For more than 15 years, our Bionic Learning Network has been focusing on the fascination of flying. Around ten years ago, we technically decrypted the bird flight. Since then, we have researched and technologically implemented numerous other flying objects and their natural principles, learning from biological role models. Autonomous swarm behavior was a major challenge in this respect. With the BionicBee, for the first time our team has now developed a flying object that can fly in large numbers and completely autonomously in a swarm. X = roll Y = pitch Z = yaw Wingspan: 240 mm Wingbeat frequency: 15 – 20 Hz Total length: 220 mm If the bee is to fly forward, the geometry is adjusted so that the lift in the rear position of the wing is greater than in the front position. This causes the body to lean forward (pitch) and the bee flies forward. If the geometry is set so that the right wing generates more lift than the left wing, the bee rolls (roll) around the longitudinal axis to the left and flies away sidewards. Another option is to adjust it so that one wing generates more lift at the front and the second wing generates more lift at the rear. As a result, the bee rotates (yaw) around the vertical axis. Autonomous flying in a swarm The autonomous behavior of the bee swarm is achieved with the help of an indoor locating system with ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. For this purpose, eight UWB anchors are installed in the space on two levels. This enables an accurate time measurement and allows the bees to locate themselves in the space. The UWB anchors send signals to the individual bees, which can independently measure the distances to the respective transmitting elements and calculate their own position in the space using the time stamps. To fly in a swarm, the bees follow the paths specified by a central computer. To ensure safe and collision-free flight in close formation, a high degree of spatial and temporal accuracy is required. When planning the path, the possible mutual interaction through air turbulence “downwash” must also be taken into account. As every bee is handmade and even the smallest manufacturing differences can influence its flight behavior, the bees additionally have an automatic calibration function: After a short test flight, each bee determines its individually optimized controller parameters. The intelligent algorithm can thus calculate the hardware differences between the individual bees, allowing the entire swarm to be controlled from outside, as if all bees were identical.
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