Flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs) or ornithopters have several advantages compared with rotary and fixed wings because of their maneuverable, high power efficiency at low speed flight and durable. The invited talk presents the development of FWMAVs of 20 cm span and total weight less than 15 gram at Tamkang University, Taiwan. The real manufacture of several prototypes as well as their wind tunnel force measurement and numerical simulations are performed with flapping stroke angles of 53° and 90°, in diverse wind velocities ranging between 1-3 m/sec, and with flapping frequencies about 14-15 Hz. Some technical issues including autonomous flight control, avionics miniaturization, 3D flow simulation, and flow visualization will be also addressed.
