Chapter 15

Comments on Bio-physics of Insect Flight

(Present and Future)

K. M. R. Achary, N. Chari, and Ponna Srinivas

Abstract In this last chapter, the recent studies have been summarized and the

probable future studies are discussed. Detailed flight study of parameter data has to be

collected and stored for biomimicking designs of aerial vehicles and flapping flexible

wings. This study needs a common platform of biologists, physicists, biochemists,

mathematicians, aerodynamic scientists, engineers from nanotechnology, MEMS

and Bionavigation experts. Biomimicking Navigation Methods for MAVs should be

explored with minimum weight and small size. Future magnetoreception and Radical

pair reaction studies (RPRM) may help in understanding the secrets of migration.

Keywords Electron transfer · Magnetoreception · RPRM · Cryptochromes ·

Bionavigation

Present Study

Flight of biological flier in nature is of special interest since it involves basically

morphological flight parameters, flight muscles and wing movements for developing

aerodynamic forces such as Lift, Thrust and Drag. The biological flight is mainly due

to flapping flexible wings with elastic fulcrum which contribute for rotatory motion

and a notable variable figure of “8” at the wing tip for development of aerodynamic

forces. Figure of ‘8’ helps directly in understanding wing motion having powerful

down stroke and a recovery upstroke and associated forces. The flapping flexible

wing of a flier develops all the aerodynamic forces together in contrast to rigid fixed

wing of an aeroplane. Chitin as a polysaccharide amine and Resilin as an elastic

protein polymer (4λ), at the wing base play important role in developing variable

K. M. R. Achary (B)

MRCET, Hyderabad, Telangana, India

N. Chari

Kakatiya Unviersity, Warangal, India

P. Srinivas

DR. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad, India

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021

N. Chari et al. (eds.), Biophysics of Insect Flight, Springer Series in Biophysics 22,

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5184-7_15

197