An Integrated Analysis of a Dragonfly in Free Flight

There were few literatures on the discussion of the wing flexion and associated aerodynamic performance of dragonfly wings in dragonfly free flights, which are potential candidates for developing bio-inspired micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) that can match the hovering and maneuvering performance of winged insects. To this end, we experimentally measure the wing flexion of a free flying dragonfly during take-off using high-speed photogrammetry and three-dimensional surface reconstructions. From the collected data, analysis of body motion Euler angles, SVD analysis of wing kinematics, wing surface deformation and topologies, and direct numerical simulations will provide insights into the selection of flapping wing and kinematics for quad-winged MAV designs and applications.