‘Jellyfish’ flying machine keeps upright
Scientists have built the first ever flying machine that is capable of stable hovering simply by flapping its wings, using a movement similar to that of a swimming jellyfish.
The new form of “ornithopter” is reported in today’s Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
Planes work pretty well to transport humans large distances across the planet, says lead author Dr Leif Ristroph, an applied mathematician from New York University.
But scientists are still trying to find the best design for small-scale autonomous flying machines that can manoeuvre around small crowded spaces.
Such machines are in demand for surveillance, monitoring and search and rescue.
“Any time you want a pair of eyes where it’s not practical to have a human go, you could possibly use one of these flyers,” says Ristroph.
One approach has been to build flying machines with wings that flap like an insect.
more at:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/01/15/3925459.htm