COMSOL simulation & example datasets for: Nonuniform structural properties of wings confer sensing advantages

Sensory feedback is essential to both animals and robotic systems for
achieving coordinated, precise movements. Mechanosensory feedback, which
provides information about body deformation, depends not only on the
properties of sensors but also on the structure in which they are
embedded. In insects, wing structure plays a particularly important role
in flapping flight: in addition to generating aerodynamic forces, wings
provide mechanosensory feedback necessary for guiding flight while
undergoing dramatic deformations during each wingbeat. However, the role
that wing structure plays in determining mechanosensory information is
relatively unexplored. Insect wings exhibit characteristic stiffness
gradients and are subject to both aerodynamic and structural damping. Here
we examine how both of these properties impact sensory performance, using
finite element analysis combined with sensor placement optimization
approaches. We show that wings with nonuniform stiffness exhibit several
advantages over uniform stiffness wings, resulting in higher accuracy of
rotation detection and lower sensitivity to the placement of sensors on
the wing. Moreover, we show that higher damping generally improves the
accuracy with which body rotations can be detected. These results
contribute to our understanding of the evolution of the nonuniform
stiffness patterns in insect wings, as well as suggest design principles
for robotic systems.