Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles: Bio-Inspired Aerodynamics

This book highlights the design and performance of bio-inspired approach to a flying drone design. The flying drone design in this book is a micro-air vehicle (MAV) where the wingspan of the drone is less than 15cm. It focuses on the wing design of the MAV which is a flapping wing that is based on bat wings. In the first part, this book delves into the past work that has been done in this area and gives a bigger picture of the design approach as well as the blind spots that are in the field. In the second part, the book presents a novel design process with experiments that have been done to measure the performance of the design.

Dr. Shafiq Bin Suhaimi obtained his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Malaysia Pahang. His master’s thesis involves the design and testing of an engine valve device that aimed to improve the performance and efficiency of the air intake system of a naturally aspirated internal combustion engine. He completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). His Ph.D. thesis entails the aerodynamic performance of flapping wings micro-air vehicles inspired by bat wings.

Ir. Ts. Dr. Solehuddin Shuib is a professor of biomechanics at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, USA, a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 refereed journal publications and presented at over 100 technical meetings. His research interests are in biomechanical engineering and medical devices.

Dr. Hamid Yusoff serves as an esteemed associate professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA in Permatang Pauh. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, a Master of Science (M.Sc.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Sains Malaysia. His research work focuses on micro-air vehicles, aerodynamics, agrotechnology, and new agricultural practices. He has authored and co-authored as much as 85 scientific papers and journals.