Scientists Copy Butterfly Wings to Create Green Flying

A group of scientists plan to unveil to the scientific community the world's first fully functional mechanical butterfly. The reason behind this creation was because scientists have always been amazed by the flying capabilities and patterns of swallowtail butterflies. If we were able to mimic how they fly, the concept could then be converted to other aerial devices. The end result would be a flying aircraft that is incredibly environmentally friendly and uniquely maneuverable.

What led to the creation of the mechanical butterfly was that scientists were studying why the swallowtail butterflies have been struggling to stay afloat as the global temperatures rise. They discovered that the temperatures were affecting their migration patterns and food sources, slowly killing them off. The initial goal was to create a mechanical butterfly in case the swallowtail butterflies eventually become extinct. However, the scientists were able to learn more about their flying patterns in the process, which could lead to the environmentally friendly aircraft's I mentioned above.

The scientists successfully built a flying flapping wing powered mechanical swallowtail butterfly. Video of the mechanical butterfly in action displays a neat robotic device that can fly but still struggles to stay afloat. Some might look at this as not yet an accomplishment, but it is indeed amazing because it shows that this type of flying pattern can be obtained. Imagine taking an airplane ride in an aircraft that is similar to the humming bird you saw flying the night before? There is one word that can describe this and that is amazing.

You might be wondering what this means for the environment. A closer look is that this type of flying technology would eliminate the need for using gas and other sources of fuel to fly the airplane. The airplane would simply use the environment as is to fly along. This would result in a much cleaner and safe atmosphere for all. We are understanding more and more how important it is to have a clean environment and this could be a major step towards achieving this.

It should be noted that in order to create the butterfly wing simulation the scientists needed to mimic the wings almost identically. They even went as far to include the veins that are found on the swallowtail wings. Identifying and using the exact structure is incredibly important to mimicking the flight patters perfectly. This is truly an important step in the right direction for airplanes to become environmentally friendly. Keep coming back to Associated Content to find out the latest regarding this technology.

Sources:

Steven Mottor, My Own Review, 2010

Gizmag, http://www.gizmag.com, 2010