Biomimetic insect

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018099746-A1
Application number	US-201715714004-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 12, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a biomimetic insect. The biomimetic insect includes a trunk and at least two wings connected to the trunk. The wing includes a carbon nanotube layer and a vanadium dioxide layer (VO 2 ) layer stacked with each other. Because the drastic, reversible phase transition of vanadium dioxide, the wing has giant deformation amplitude and fast response.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A biomimetic insect comprising:
a trunk; and two wings connected to the trunk, wherein at least one of the two wings comprises a carbon nanotube (CNT) layer and a vanadium dioxide layer (VO 2 ) on the carbon nanotube layer to form a VO 2 /CNT composite.

2 . The biomimetic insect of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the two wings further comprises a carbon nanotube film located in the vanadium dioxide layer and spaced apart from the carbon nanotube layer, wherein a thickness of the carbon nanotube film is less than 30 nanometers.

3 . The biomimetic insect of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the two wings further comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube film located in the vanadium dioxide layer and spaced apart from each other, wherein a distance between every two adjacent carbon nanotube films is greater than 30 nanometers.

4 . The biomimetic insect of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the carbon nanotube film extends out of the vanadium dioxide layer to form an outside portion.

5 . The biomimetic insect of claim 4 , wherein the outside portion is in direct contact with the carbon nanotube layer.

6 . The biomimetic insect of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the two wings further comprises a carbon nanotube array located in the vanadium dioxide layer, wherein the carbon nanotube array comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes substantially parallel to and spaced apart from each other, and the plurality of carbon nanotubes is perpendicular to the carbon nanotube layer.

7 . The biomimetic insect of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes has one end in direct contact with the carbon nanotube layer.

8 . The biomimetic insect of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the two wings further comprises a flexible protection layer located on at least one of the carbon nanotube layer and the vanadium dioxide layer.

9 . The biomimetic insect of claim 8 , wherein the flexible protection layer entirely envelopes the carbon nanotube layer and the vanadium dioxide layer.

10 . The biomimetic insect of claim 1 , wherein the vanadium dioxide layer is doped with an element selected from the group consisting of tungsten, molybdenum, aluminum, phosphorus, niobium, thallium, and fluorine.

11 . The biomimetic insect of claim 1 , wherein each of the two wings comprises the carbon nanotube layer and the vanadium dioxide layer stacked with each other.

12 . The biomimetic insect of claim 11 , wherein the trunk and the two wings are integrated.

13 . The biomimetic insect of claim 12 , wherein the trunk and the two wings are made by cutting the same VO 2 /CNT composite comprises the carbon nanotube layer and the vanadium dioxide layer.

14 . The biomimetic insect of claim 1 , wherein the trunk comprises polymer or rubber.

15 . The biomimetic insect of claim 1 , further comprises a sensor located on the trunk.

16 . A biomimetic insect comprising:
a trunk; and two wings connected to the trunk, wherein at least one of the two wings comprises a VO 2 /CNT composite.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ma He
• Wei Yang
• Liu Kai
• Jiang Kai-Li
• Fan Shou-Shan

Classifications

• B64U10/40

  Ornithopters · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64C39/028 Primary

  Micro-sized aircraft · CPC title

• B64C2201/025

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C33/02 Primary

  Wings; Actuating mechanisms therefor · CPC title