Asynchronous and Self-Adaptive Flight Assembly via Electrostatic Actuation of Flapping Wings

About three quarters of flying insects on Earth use the asynchronous driving mechanism in muscles to power their flights. Herein, an asynchronous flight assembly via electrostatic actuation of flapping wings in analogy to the asynchronous mechanism in natural flying insects is demonstrated. The wing motions are driven by the self-sustained oscillation of metal beams in a steady electric field and regulated by the input voltage between two stationary electrodes, whereas the discharging process occurs repetitively as the oscillating beams hit and exchange charges with the electrodes. Several advancements in the oscillation and flight demonstrations have been achieved: 1) self-sustainable and asynchronous oscillations for biomimetic flapping-wing motions with high efficiency, 2) the first takeoff of an asynchronous flight assembly along the fixed electrodes, and 3) the first self-adaptive hovering assembly via the passive modulation of the flapping frequency and amplitude when a disturbance is introduced.