Meeting Abstract
Both hummingbirds and insects hover with flapping wings to forage, a remarkable example of behavioral convergence despite profound differences in body plans. For efficiency, insects rely on elastic recoil to beat their wings back and forth and lift their bodyweight symmetrically over the downstroke and upstroke. The question of whether hummingbirds also harness elastic recoil has resulted in a multi-decade quandary. Furthermore, asymmetry in the avian flight apparatus is thought to severely restrict the hummingbird’s ability to support bodyweight during the upstroke. Here we present in vivo recordings of aerodynamic force in hovering Anna’s hummingbirds using a novel aerodynamic force platform. Additionally, we determined the required muscle torque and power by integrating wing morphology, kinematics, and force measurements with improved aerodynamic models. The new method is applicable to measure forces of flying animals and robots in general.
