Ornithopter Design Project

As part of the Mechanical Design course at New Mexico State University in Spring 2025, I worked in a team of four students to design and build an ornithopter for a class competition that involved 18 teams. The challenge required us to design a flapping-wing aircraft using only basic materials such as wood, thread, glue, paper, and fabric, with limited access to 3D printing and no motors allowed. This constraint pushed us to apply core mechanical engineering principles in creativity, design, and problem-solving.

Throughout the project, we developed multiple prototypes and iterated designs before finalizing the model presented in competition. Using SolidWorks and AutoCAD, we created 3D models, technical drawings, and structural layouts to evaluate the feasibility of different mechanisms. Our team conducted research on materials and studied relevant patents to ensure that our approach combined originality with proven design concepts. We also established an activity schedule to organize our tasks efficiently and meet deadlines.

The final ornithopter was presented at the Panamerican Center of NMSU during the competition, where our design achieved second place among all participating teams. This project strengthened my skills in CAD modeling, design iteration, teamwork, and applied problem-solving under material and design constraints, while also providing valuable experience in combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on engineering practice.