Kinematic Analysis of Grasshopper Wing Mechanisms for Insect-Scale Robotic Applications

Abstract

Insect-scale robotics, a rapidly expanding field in greater robotics, benefits from the spectacular biological advantages that insects have due to their smaller scale. Working at such a scale, however, presents difficulties due to the various limitations of micromechanisms and microactuators necessary for insect-scale robotics. This study explores the kinematics of the axillary sclerites in the Schistocerca americana, or American grasshopper, for applications in wing deployment mechanisms for multimodal insect-scale robotics. Utilizing light microscopy and a meticulously designed experimental rig, the axillary sclerites were imaged and analyzed at different stages throughout wing deployment, with the experimental rig opening and closing the wing to precise degrees of deployment. Analysis suggests that the axillary sclerites can be simplified to a three-bar linkage model, with various connections to wing veins which assist in the deployment of the wing. This study not only advances our understanding of insect wing kinematics, but also lays the groundwork for the development of versatile mechanisms for locomotion based on biological inspiration.