PTERACAM - THE

SCOUTING GUIDE
Guide - Mr. Sachin Oak
Arya Bansode (01)
Shaurya Chaturvedi (07)
Atharva Deshmukh (10)
Shivam Gadekar (15)
What is

Biomimicry ?
 Table of Contents
Introduction
Problem Statement
Methodology
Flying Subject Selection
Design
Electronics
Software and Hardware setup for
Surveillance
Manufacturing
Result & Discussion
Future Work
Conclusion
References
 Introduction
The project based on Ornithopter is a fascinating endeavor
that aims to create machines that can fly by flapping their
wings like birds.

The idea of an ornithopter dates back to ancient times, but it

wasn't until the 15th century that Leonardo da Vinci drew
plans for a human-powered ornithopter .
Introduction
Ornithopters, which can be designed to look like birds or insects,
could be employed for military purposes such as aerial
reconnaissance without letting the enemy know they are being
watched.

With advancements in materials, aerodynamics, and control

systems, the Ornithopter-type flying models have become a
promising area of research for creating aircraft that can
potentially achieve sustained flight by mimicking the intricate
wing movements of birds.
Problem Statement
The problem was to design and develop an ornithopter that can be used for scouting missions.

Some of the key challenges associated with the project include designing a lightweight and durable
structure, developing efficient and effective flapping mechanisms, optimizing the shape and motion of the
wings to generate enough lift and thrust for sustained flight, and developing precise and responsive control
systems.

Appropriate subject selection in order to design and model the replica of the bird for surveillance, scouting
missions, monitoring applications.

The PteraCam should be able to operate autonomously or be controlled remotely, ensuring its safe and
efficient operation.
Methodology
1. Flying Subject Selection
a. Humming Bird
As the bird is miniature in size comparatively, the research
proved it to be light in weight but the con was the wing
structure which wasn’t generating quite enough wing motion
to generate high lift.
This bird was mimicked for defense purposes but failed at a
larger scale since the wing motion wasn’t sufficient enough to
mimic in order to generate enough lift.
b. Albatross
In order to depict Albatross, a morphing wing mechanism was designed and analyzed, but later it
was noted that the morphing wing structure wasn’t entirely supporting the mimicking part of the
bird and also generating comparatively less lift than the next selected subject.

The overall weight was rising and also wasn’t correctly depicting the selected bird.
c. Falcon
This bird was studied deeply as it was ticking off the
required parameters of a bird. Long wingspan, high
aerodynamic abilities, tapered and flapping wing type,
and streamlined body proved the falcon as the
pertinent option to mimic the bird's motion precisely
and utilize for reconnaissance.

Thus, an ornithopter-based model, having gears

placed for its flapping mechanism to depict the Falcon
wing motion was opted for the further and final
design, analysis, and building of the model.
2. Design
a. Wing
On the basis of the selected subject, the wing is a tapered type, which is an additional add-on
along with the flapping mechanism which has been instilled in the system to mimic as well as
produce sufficient lift according to the estimated weight of the model.

Wing Flapping Mechanisms

Staggered Crank Single Gear Crank Transverse Shaft Dual Gear Crank
 It allows for the most symmetrical flap, however, it is
the heaviest and the most complicated design. The
rotating gears and the flapping wings are not in the
same plane thus the connector rod has to be able to
rotate. The number of gears used in this design is
more than in any other design.
Transverse Shaft
The transverse shaft design is usually used for a
bigger MAV design where weight could be overcome
by large wings.

Selected the Transverse shaft mechanism as the

wingspan chosen can accompany and sustain the
weight and structure of the mechanism.
 Gear Calculations

While a highly integrated design is needed in order to maximize the power-to-weight ratio, the
analysis of these parts breaks down well, gear reduction for the outer runner motor having a
specification speed of motor 1100 RPM should be -

The gear reduction should be 11. This means while the motor rotates 11 times the main gear rotates
once. This also reduces the torque needed for the motor. Less torque motor means a reduction in
motor size and weight.
Wing Calculation
& Dimensions
XFLR5 Analysis
b. Body
The body is the part where the components
like the electronic speed controller, the
receiver, and the battery are located.
c. Tail
For stability, the tail is tilted upwards so that the downward force of the tail
would force the nose to pitch up. The angle is typically around 15°.

The tilting tail works like a rudder, when it tilts to the right it causes the MAV
to yaw to the right. In the prototype, both the horizontal and vertical
stabilizers as a swinging and tilting tail are designed.
3. Electronics
Dc motor – 1000 kV
Battery – 11.1 V

The speed of the model can be determined by the

data obtained,
Speed = 1000 × 11.1 = 626 Rps.

Gear teeth ratio of the gear mechanism is required

to find out the flapping rate for the motor

Using gear teeth of 83 and 30, n1=626, n2= 58.8, thus n3 = 3.6 - 3 flaps per second.

Thrust to weight Ratio - 0.8

Components Used
4. Software & Hardware set up
ESP32 CAM & Arduino Connection
Software Setup:

Update the Wi-Fi SSID and password in the "CameraWebServer" example to match your Wi-Fi network.

Upload the sketch to the ESP32-CAM by clicking the Upload button in the Arduino IDE.

Disconnect GPIO0 from the ground and reset the board to exit programming mode.

After the hardware and software setup, you should be able to access the ESP32-CAM's IP address from a web
browser to view the camera feed
Hardware Setup:

Connect the ESP32-CAM to your computer using a USB cable.

Power the ESP32-CAM with a 5V power supply or through the USB cable.

Insert an SD card into the SD card slot on the ESP32-CAM.

Set the ESP32-CAM to boot in programming mode by pulling GPIO0 to the

ground and resetting the board. Release GPIO0 after resetting the board
Manufacturing

Wing - An aluminum wireframe of dia 3mm and 3D

printed gears.

Body - Laser cutting on an acrylic sheet with specific

slots for the components.

Tail - 3D printed part along with appropriate servo

handle.
 Result & Discussion
After some initial issues, the ornithopter has produced promising results. Despite the initial
difficulties, we were able to resolve the electronics, and the ornithopter can now effectively flap its
wings.
The flapping motion of the wings is a complex movement, and getting it right requires careful
attention to detail and precision engineering.
Furthermore, the gear mechanism which was chosen according to the wingspan proved correct
enough to flap an estimated number of times.
Furthermore, the gear mechanism which was chosen according to the wingspan proved correct
enough to flap an estimated number of times.
But, the team and project doesn’t halt here, the work shall be going on the project to make further
advancements of making the model autonomous.
 Future Work
Control systems: Improving the control systems for ornithopters could lead to more
stable flight and better maneuverability.

Power sources: Developing more efficient and lightweight power sources could enable
ornithopters to fly for longer periods of time or carry heavier payloads. Research into
alternative power sources, such as fuel cells or solar panels, could lead to more
sustainable and efficient flight.

Material science - Advances in materials such as carbon fiber or new composites could
result in ornithopters that are more durable and can fly faster or higher.
 Conclusion
Ornithopters, inspired by nature, were formerly thought to be the only practical way for man to achieve the
freedom of flight that had proven elusive.

In conclusion, the development of ornithopters represents an exciting area of research with many potential
applications, ranging from military surveillance to environmental monitoring.

While there are still many challenges to be overcome, advances in materials science, control systems, and
aerodynamics are helping to bring ornithopters closer to practical use.

By mimicking the flight of birds and insects, ornithopters offer a unique and efficient way to navigate the air,
and have the potential to revolutionize a variety of industries.

The Ornithopter Project aims to contribute to this field by designing and constructing a biomimetic ornithopter
that can fly using solar power.
References
[1] Mueller, T. J. (2002). Fundamentals of flying wings: a historical perspective. Journal of Aircraft, 39(3), 345-352.

[2] Slegers, N., Van Meerbeek, B., & Van Der Perre, G. (2006). Flight mechanics of a flapping wing micro air vehicle.
Journal of Aircraft, 43(5), 1465-1473.

[3] Sun, M., Liu, H., & Zhao, Y. (2015). Design and experimental study of an ornithopter with variable wing sweep.
Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 28(1), 04014035.

[4] Pradalier, C., & Siegwart, R. (2004, August). A miniature flapping-wing robot: design, control, and aerodynamics.
In Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2004) (pp.
1273-1278). IEEE.

[5] Guo, Y., Zhang, X., Wu, Y., & Yu, H. (2016). The ornithopter design for flapping wing micro air vehicles.
International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2016. [6] DeLaurier, James, “An Ornithopter Wing design”, Canadian
Aeronautics and Space Journal, Vol. 40 No. 1, March 199
THANK YOU