Engineers are taking inspiration from birds to design a new kind of flying robot that could be more flexible, safer, and better suited to complex environments than today’s drones. Instead of relying ...

A bird banking in a crosswind doesn't rely on spinning blades. Its wings flex, twist and respond instantly to its environment ...

No matter how good our human designs may be, evolution has had a 4-billion-year head start, so there’s no shame in copying off Mother Nature’s homework. Engineers at the University of Bristol have ...

Insects are thought to use specific chest muscles to actively open and close their wings. However, high-speed imaging reveals that rhinoceros beetles flap their hindwings to deploy them for flight, ...

Bio-inspired wind sensing using strain sensors on flexible wings could revolutionize robotic flight control strategy. Researchers have developed a method to detect wind direction with 99% accuracy ...

(Nanowerk News) A new drive system for flapping wing autonomous robots has been developed by a University of Bristol team, using a new method of electromechanical zipping that does away with the need ...

Flapping-wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) are characterized by their compact size, lightweight design, and high maneuverability, making them highly practical for various applications. However, the ...

The study of bio-inspired flapping flight and the dynamics of micro air vehicles (MAVs) has grown into a vibrant interdisciplinary field, merging insights from insect biomechanics, aerodynamics and ...