Meeting Abstract
We describe and characterize the design of the aerodynamic force platform (AFP), a new system that can directly measure the aerodynamic forces generated by freely flying animals and robots. It is essential to be able to take in vivo recordings in freely flying animals to better understand the precise aerodynamic function of their flapping wings, in particular the differences between the downstroke versus the upstroke. The AFP is the first device that allows the direct measurement of these forces during free flight. It is designed to be stiff yet lightweight, with the structural vibrations characterized such that the measurements we take are not occluded by the natural frequencies of the structure. To ensure the system has the highest possible natural frequency and can accurately measure the fluid mechanic forces generated by freely locomoting birds, bats, and robots, careful consideration of the design of the support truss, force plate, window, contact point, and custom force sensors must be made. Notwithstanding the broad range of applications, the immediate opportunity to perform high-throughput, real-time, non-intrusive, and in vivo comparative biomechanics analysis of force generation by locomoting animals – including complex bimodal terrestrial, aquatic and aerial behaviors – will help advance the field of experimental biology.
