University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Resesarch Foundation, Inc.

Peter G Ifju

Roberto Albertani

Kirk S Schanze

David A Jenkins

Shujun Jiang

James P Hubner

Kyu-Ho Lee

Bret K Stanford

Shawn J Mitryk

Yao Liu

Frank J Boria

Mujahid Abdulrahim

An airfoil for a micro air vehicle that includes components enabling the airfoil to adjust the angle of attack (AOA) of the airfoil in response to wind gusts, thereby enabling the airfoil to provide smooth flight. The airfoil may include a first compliant region positioned between an inboard section and a first outboard section and may include a second compliant region between a second outboard section and the inboard section. The compliant regions enable the first and second outboard sections to bend about a leading edge section and move relative to an inboard section. This action creates smoother flight due to numerous aerodynamic advantages such as a change in the angle of attack and improved wind gust rejection due to adaptive washout as a result of the airfoil flexing, twisting and decambering.

Airfoil for micro air vehicle

A micro air vehicle having a bendable wing enabling the micro air vehicle to fly. The bendable wing may be bent downwards so that the wingspan may be reduced for storing the micro air vehicle. The bendable wing may be formed from one or more layers of material, and the wing may have a camber such that a concave surface of the wing faces downward. The wing may substantially resist flexing upwards and may transfer uplift forces to a central body of the micro air vehicle. In addition, the wing may be bent severely downwards by applying a force to tips of the wing. The micro air vehicle is capable of being stored in a small cylindrical tube and may be deployed from the tube by simply releasing the micro air vehicle from the tube.

Bendable wing for micro air vehicle

A method and apparatus for measuring strain on a surface of a substrate utilizes a substrate surface coated with at least one coating layer. The coating layer provides both luminescence and photoelasticity. The coating layer is illuminated with excitation light, wherein longer wavelength light is emitted having a polarization dependent upon stress or strain in the coating. At least one characteristic of the emitted light is measured, and strain (if present) on the substrate is determined from the measured characteristic.

Method and apparatus for measuring strain using a luminescent photoelastic coating

Growing community of inventors

Newberry, FL, United States of America

Peter G Ifju