Optimal Determination of the Wing Flexibility Parameter for Computing the Aerodynamic Forces Exerted on a Flapping-wing Robot Based on the Genetic Algorithm

This research aims to provide efficient analytical models for computing the aerodynamic forces exerted on the wings and the tail of a flapping-wing robot. To achieve this purpose, at first, the aerodynamic model of the wings is presented based upon the parallel strips theory and by considering the effects of wing flexibility. Afterward, the aerodynamic model of the tail is introduced regarding the effects of pressure difference on the tail surfaces, leading edge vortices and air friction. Next, the optimal coefficient of wing flexibility is obtained utilizing the genetic algorithm. Ultimately, in order to validate, the results of the proposed models are compared with the models presented in the former studies and the measured experimental data. Simulation results demonstrate that the aerodynamic forces reckoned by the suggested strategies are closer to the experimental data in comparison with the previous models.