Jan 10 2017
In the age of drones and flying robots, it has become extremely important to find ways for improving flying ability of these little devices. That is why the aerospace engineers are looking for more efficient techniques and ways to improve the flying capacity of mechanical objects.
A plain Tiger butterfly sits on the nose of a girl during a photocall to highlight the forthcoming 'Sensational Butterflies' exhibition at the Natural History Museum on March 31, 2015 in London, England. (Credit : Getty Images/Carl Court)
An incredible discovery of the structure of butterfly wings has opened new horizons of knowledge and perception for the scientists who have found that butterfly wings contain 0.1-millimeter scales. Arranged like "roof shingles" on the wings of butterflies, the scales make the wings a little rough, as reports Science Magazine.
The roughness was a big question mark for the scientists and to solve the mystery of this roughness they fixed 22 cameras in a chamber with submillimeter perception to study a butterfly's movement. 11 queen butterflies were filmed by the engineers of aerospace but who first observed flying with their scales intact and then stripped the scales to observe the difference.
The clear evidence that came in the observance was that the scales increased the performance of flying by 16 to 82 percent. The results of the study were reported to the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology according to Long Room.
The scale-removed butterflies were quick in flapping their wings but could not do that as broadly as they did when their scales were intact. The engineers, then, made artificial wings and found that the scales affected the air that circled around the upper surface of the wings likely improving boost.
The key to flying efficiency of the butterfly is the scales on her wings. Yes, the butterfly can still fly but the delicate insect is assisted with scales to fly more efficiently with scales. There are other advantages of scales also which have not come to light in this initial study.
The scales help the butterflies to go long ways like 4000 kilometers and these scales on their wings help them. The engineers are hopeful that more detailed study of these scales and their effect on flying will help them to develop the technology of flying robots.
Source: http://www.latinoshealth.com/