A team from Southampton University and Imperial College London have successfully tested an innovative new wing design for Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs), inspired by the muscles in bats’ wings. The new wings are made of a membrane that incorporates electro-active polymers, meaning that they can relax and stiffen in response to the forces they experience in-flight. The project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, opens up the possibility of MAVs which can fly over much longer distances while remaining economical and easy to maintain.
