Achieving Lift-to-Weight Ratio >3.5 in Piezoelectric Direct-Driven Insect-Scale Flapping-Wing MAVs
Xiang Lu, Jie Chen, Yang Chen, Zixin Deng, Yulie Wu, Xuezhong Wu, Dingbang Xiao
Abstract
Insect-scale flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FWMAVs) employing piezoelectric direct-drive configurations eliminate traditional kinematic chains through direct coupling of the wing and actuator. While this design approach significantly reduces structural complexity and manufacturing costs compared to transmission-dependent systems, it inherently limits wing stroke amplitude and consequent lift generation. This paper presents a novel lift-enhancement strategy for piezoelectric direct-drive FWMAVs, effectively improving payload capacity through optimized aerodynamic performance. The redesigned X-configuration prototype demonstrates outstanding metrics: 68 mm wingspan with 212 mg total mass achieves 7.47 mN maximum lift (exceeding 3.5:1 lift-to-weight ratio) and 1.25 m/s takeoff speed. Experimental validation confirms 39% payload capacity improvement and 34% lift-to-weight ratio enhancement compared to baseline designs. This enhancement establishes our robot as the current state-of-the-art in piezoelectric direct-drive FWMAVs regarding lift-to-weight ratio.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{iros2025_achievinglifttow,
title = {Achieving Lift-to-Weight Ratio >3.5 in Piezoelectric Direct-Driven Insect-Scale Flapping-Wing MAVs},
author = {Xiang Lu and Jie Chen and Yang Chen and Zixin Deng and Yulie Wu and Xuezhong Wu and Dingbang Xiao},
booktitle = {IROS 2025},
year = {2025}
}