Like birds and insects, Ornithopters fly by flopping mechanical wings
July 4, 2008
Ornithopter: a tool for multipurpose usages
Hummingbird was the source of inspiration for scientists, goading them to invent `Ornithopter` at Brigham Young University. The invention is truly an engineering feat achieved by the young students. Ornithopter will serve as a tool for multipurpose usages.
Jerry Bowman, an associate professor of mechanical engineering, observed: “Students take engineering principles they have learned in class to come up with innovative designs and turn their ideas into working models of MAVs (Micro Air Vehicles). The chance to take the project from start to finish really adds to their educational experience besides it being a source of lots of fun.”
Miniature planes like the ‘ornithopter’ have enormous potential applications. For instance, it becomes a handy tool for the police to track the fleeing criminals. It can be used by probing journalists, to gather information from otherwise difficult to access areas to seek live footage. It will satisfy the needs of those who are on hunt for better surveillance technology.
Where the conventional plane depends on the propeller for the thrust and the wings for the lift, ornithopter’s wings are sufficient for both the operations. The cost of building the amazing device is around $1500.Most of the expense is attributed to the tiny video camera that transmits images to a receiver situated at ground level. Not a bad idea to cough up merge amount for the ownership of very useful gadget!
