Virtual Insect Flight Simulator (VIFS): A software testbed for insect flight

Abstract

This paper presents the design of software simulation VIFS for insect flight. In particular, it is intended to estimate flight control algorithms and performance for a Micromechanical Flying Insect (MFI), a 10-25 mm (wingtip-to-wingtip) device eventually capable of sustained autonomous flight. The VIFS is an end-to-end tool composed of several modular blocks which model the actuators dynamics, the wing aerodynamics, the body motion, the visual and inertial sensors, the environment perception, and control algorithms. A 3D virtual environment simulation is also developed as a visualization tool. We present the current state of art of its implementation and preliminary results.