LAS CRUCES N.M.
Engineers at New Mexico State University have turned to the hummingbird for inspiration in designing micro air vehicles used in surveillance and tactical reconnaisance.
Micro air vehicles MAVs that measure 10 centimeters or less might have problems hovering or flying vertically in winds, so researchers at NMSU’s College of Engineering are studying how hummingbirds fly and hover.
They are using a scale model that can mimic a hummingbird’s wing motion to accurately measure and observe how air flows around the wings as they flap.
“Hummingbirds are capable of amazing maneuvers, like hovering,” said one researcher, Banavara Shashikanth, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering.
But, Shashikanth said, the physics and fluid dynamics involved in the bird’s maneuver are not clear.
“So we want to understand these fundamental issues better and then apply it to our models,” the researcher said.
