Top Page - Research Topic resarch and development of micro ornithopter Micro air vehicles (MAVs) are now an active and well-integratedresearch area, attracting participation from a wide range of talents. Witha maximal dimension of 15 cm and nominal flight speeds of around 10 m/s,MAVs are desired to be capable of performing missions such as environmental monitoring, surveillance, and assessment in hostile situations. In contrast to conventional flight vehicles, these small flyers are lightweight, operate at low speeds, and are sensitive to wind gusts. Furthermore, like natural flyers, the wing structures of MAVs are often flexible and tend to deform during flight. In this study, we aim at developing a hawkmoth-inspired, flapping-wing MAV which is about 5 cm long, less than 5 gram, and capable to perform forward and hovering flight. Copyright (C) 2003-2009, Bioengineering Laboratory, Chiba University. All rights reserved.