Self-lifting artificial insect wings via electrostatic flapping actuators

We present self-lifting artificial insect wings by means of electrostatic actuation for the first time. Excited by a DC power source, biomimetic flapping motions have been generated to lift the artificial wings 5cm above ground (limited by the current experimental setup) under an operation frequency of 50-70Hz. Three achievements have been accomplished: (1) first successful demonstration of self-lifting electrostatic flying wings; (2) low power consumption as compared to other actuation schemes; and (3) self-adjustable rotating wing design to provide the lifting force. As such, this work can lead to a new class of electrostatic flapping actuators for artificial flying insects.