DLR Completes First Flight Test of AI-Controlled Morphing Wing

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have completed the first flight test of a morphing wing controlled by an adaptive artificial intelligence system at the test center in Köckstädt, eastern Germany. As part of the morphAIR project, the PROTEUS unmanned research aircraft was used to simultaneously test conventional and morphing wings under real conditions, allowing direct comparison of their flight performance.

For over a century, aircraft have relied on rigid wings with moving parts such as flaps, slats, and ailerons to deflect airflow, but this design also introduces compromises such as gaps, turbulence, and drag. The DLR's morphing wing changes this logic: the wing itself can smoothly bend and reshape, maintaining an aerodynamic surface's integrity, thereby enabling cleaner airflow, lower drag, and more precise control.

Martin Radestock, DLR project manager, stated: "The morphing wing can change its shape in flight, allowing it to optimally adapt to different flight conditions." By conducting comparative tests on the same platform, engineers demonstrated the effectiveness of the morphing wing in actual flight, rather than relying solely on simulation data.

This test marks a key step in advancing morphing aerodynamics from the laboratory into the sky, as wings are transitioning from rigid structures to responsive surfaces capable of continuously reshaping themselves according to airflow.

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