| For centuries many scientists and thinkers have tried | | | | learned in discussing this subject matter; |
| to figure out how insects fly. They are quite | | | | 1.) that the engineers in aerospace are out to lunch on |
| maneuverable and many do quite well considering the | | | | insect flight. |
| controls on an aircraft. Recently in the study of | | | | 2.) the engineers on MAVs are just getting up to |
| swarms the question has been raised; when a whole | | | | speed on Insects and |
| bunch of insects get together in a swarm do they get | | | | 3.) the insect folks don't talk with the aerospace folks? |
| an airflow advantage from the group? It stands to | | | | All these folks are stuck in linear categorical thought |
| reason that they might indeed. So one online think tank | | | | and have confined themselves to their specific task, |
| member asks; | | | | unwilling to get off the subject. Which to tell you the |
| "The airflow question can be answered by using | | | | truth kind of reminds me that if we stay too focused |
| infrared camera footage; there has to be slight | | | | we could in fact miss the clue to the whole thing, |
| differences in the thermals associated with local | | | | whatever that might be. These insects are ahead of |
| toroidal airflow." | | | | us on winged flight. These Berkeley researchers seem |
| There are many ways to look at airflow as insects fly | | | | to be forward thinkers and are any but stuck in linear |
| such as allowing them to fly thru Kerosene Smoke to | | | | dimensional thought. |
| allow us to study the Flow Visualization of Low | | | | In this experiment we can also determine; "If that donut |
| Aspect Ratio Flapping Wings. By using | | | | looking air pocket or "bubble" as mentioned above |
| multiple-exposure photography of their wing tip vortex | | | | does exist, then infrared camera should be able to |
| we can visualize with kerosene-smoke and a laser | | | | validate or invalidate that suspicion" |
| sheet. | | | | Indeed my bubble concept came in from another |
| If we wanted to control the insects with sound to see | | | | project concept I was contemplating far and away |
| if that helps the swarm fly better while watching its | | | | from the insect model, but what if? And so I asked the |
| affect on their aerodynamics to see if they get a | | | | question, which is worthy and even if it isn't so what? |
| cooperative advantage then indeed we could use | | | | Because we could create a bubble swarm of |
| lasers to address the ELF, ULF and VLF sounds. And | | | | micro-mechanical MAVs if we wanted too, and |
| also take a look at any buzzing harmonics of the wing. | | | | sending rapid fire pulses the bubble membrane could |
| I agree that we should study both. | | | | be maintained and always slightly expanding until you |
| We need to contact Wilkins and Dickinson at Berkeley | | | | started over. Totally off subject if this is not the case. |
| and a couple of these folks working on Mechanical | | | | But still worthy of thought for some other purpose. |
| Micro-MAVs. As they can give us some insight into | | | | Perhaps more study in needed for insect flying |
| which experiment we should do. Also something I have | | | | swarms. So, consider all this in 2006. |