Abstract
Borrowing dispersion methodology from its natural cousin 'maple seed', the Solar Samara Autorotating Wings (SSAW) uses autorotation as the means of slowing down the descent rate and uses no propulsion for the entire flight envelope. It carries a limited battery which powers the control flap for regulated descent and on-board sensors for data collection. Integrating solar cells onto its wing extends the service life-span of the concept. The solar cells in SSAW serve multiple purposes: surfaces for aerodynamic lift creation, structural rigidity improvement and energy provision. However, the solar cells present limitations on possible wing and flap configurations due to their functional structure. Considering physical modification constraints, we optimized the configuration of the control flap for the best glide slope and minimum undesired oscillations. SSAW was dynamically modelled and simulated in a 6DOF environment to find the optimal flap configuration using Genetic Algorithm (GA). We verified the functionality of the optimized flap on a vertical test rig and dropped SSAW outdoors for real-life autorotation with flap control. Furthermore, we tested SSAW for its solar functionality of charging the on-board batteries while on data collection mission.