Hi all, I thought I'd pass this along to see if someone smarter than me can put this flexible wing technology to use in drones. It's super cool!
MIT and NASA unveil “morphing” airplane wing that could revolutionize aviation
NASA and MIT just unveiled a new “morphing” aircraft wing that could revolutionize aviation. The flexible wing designed by NASA’s MADCAT team could be used to create super-efficient planes that use much less fuel. An Airbus aviation expert uninvolved with the research said the approach pioneered by MADCAT “is a philosophical revolution, opening the gate to disruptive innovation.”
Wing shape greatly impacts how efficiently an aircraft can operate, and according to NASA, rigid wings aren’t always the most efficient. They describe the search for a better wing as the quest for the holy grail. MADCAT, comprised of researchers and students from MIT; University of California, Davis; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Santa Cruz; Cornell University; and NASA may have found that long-awaited green wing.
According to MIT, the wing is made of “a system of tiny, lightweight subunits” that robots could assemble. The subunits are covered by overlapping parts reminiscent of scales or feathers. The wing components are made from advanced carbon fiber composite materials. Computers and motors can help change the shape of the wing for better efficiency even while an aircraft is flying. The new wings could also be manufactured using much simpler and more streamlined processes.
More here: http://inhabitat.com/mit-and-nasa-unveil-morphing-airplane-wing-that-could-revolutionize-aviation/
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