Researchers from MIT and NASA have designed a flexible “morphing wing” system made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) that draws inspiration from the twisted wings from the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight.
The wing design is based on a system of tiny, lightweight composite subunits called “digital materials” that could be assembled like Legos by a team of small specialized robots, and ultimately could be used to build the entire airframe. MIT says the digital materials can be assembled into “a virtually infinite variety of shapes.”
The individual pieces are strong and stiff, but the exact choice of the dimensions and materials used for the pieces, and the geometry of how they are assembled, allow researchers to customize the flexibility of the final shape. For the initial test structure, the goal was to allow the wing to twist in a precise way that would substitute for the motion of separate structural pieces.
The wing is covered by a “skin” made of overlapping pieces that might resemble scales or feathers. MIT says this approach could simplify the manufacturing process and reduce fuel consumption by improving the wing’s aerodynamics and agility. The skin is made from 0.127-millimeter thick Kapton (polyimide film), cut into strips on a CO2 laser cutter.
