According to Neil Gershenfeld, director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, researchers have been trying for years to create similar technology, but have failed to make an impact because their designs relied on deforming the wing through the use of mechanical control structures within the wing itself, which weighed it down and canceled out any potential aerodynamic advantage it would have. Gershenfeld says MIT and NASA’s design represents a different approach.
“We make the whole wing the mechanism. It’s not something we put into the wing,” he explains. With the new approach, the whole shape of the wing can be changed and twisted uniformly along its length by activating two small motors that apply a twisting pressure to each wingtip.
MIT notes that the design could be used for more than just aircraft.
“The broader potential in this concept extends directly to skyscrapers, bridges, and space structures, providing not only improved performance and survivability but also a more sustainable approach by achieving the same strength while using, and reusing, substantially less raw material,” said Gonzalo Rey, chief technology officer for Moog Inc., a precision aircraft motion-controls company.
