A Simulation Platform for Flapping-Wing Vehicles
2026-06-01 • Robotics
Robotics
AI summaryⓘ
The authors created FWAV-Sim, a detailed computer simulation to help test flapping-wing flying robots more realistically. Their simulation includes complex airflow effects, turbulent wind, and sensors similar to what the robots use in real life. This helps researchers design better control and perception systems by providing more accurate data than simpler simulators. Tests show that robots trained with FWAV-Sim perform better in realistic conditions.
Flapping-wing aerial vehiclesAerodynamic modelBlade-element theoryBluff-body dragTurbulenceFractal noiseInertial Measurement Unit (IMU)LiDARRGB cameraSimulation-to-reality gap
Authors
Haichuan Li, Tomi Westerlund
Abstract
Flapping-wing aerial vehicles (FWAVs) demonstrate remarkable agility but face substantial autonomy challenges due to their high sensitivity to aerodynamic disturbances and limited sensor payload capacity. Current simulation platforms typically rely on oversimplified laminar flow assumptions and idealized sensor models, failing to capture the complex turbulence patterns and perceptual limitations encountered in real-world operation. This simulation-to-reality discrepancy significantly impedes the development of robust autonomy systems for FWAVs. We introduce FWAV-Sim, a high-fidelity Unity-based simulation framework that integrates: (1) a composite aerodynamic model combining quasi-steady blade-element theory with bluff-body drag effects, (2) spatiotemporally correlated turbulence generation through fractal noise synthesis, and (3) realistic sensor simulation including noisy IMU measurements, LiDAR point clouds, and RGB camera feeds. Our platform enables scalable generation of synchronized datasets containing ground-truth vehicle states, aerodynamic forces, turbulent wind fields, and multi-modal sensor streams. Experimental validation demonstrates that autonomy pipelines (including both controllers and perception systems) developed in FWAV-Sim exhibit significantly improved simulation capability, thereby advancing the outstanding performance in simulation-based development for flapping-wing aerial systems.