The goal of my project was to design and characterize a passive folding wing for a hybrid aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle has a central bistable mechanism that uses inertial forces to switch between the more maneuverable quadrotor mode and the more energy efficient fixed wing mode. After examining several designs, we selected the Miura origami tube pattern to serve as the structural basis of the wing. I fabricated a tube that will support the requisite forces while requiring less than 0.1N to contract to 8.8% of the maximum span, which does not exceed the maximum available force. A frame with a tight skin will be constructed around the tube to create a true airfoil.

Parallelly, I also characterized a wind tunnel setup and examined various wing parameters. The examined wings ranged from different wing profiles to different fabrication methods. This data indicates that airfoils that are thick enough to fit the collapsed origami tube will provide enough lift to support the aerial vehicle. It also indicates that while adding camber in relatively thick airfoils increases lift, it also greatly increases drag, particularly at higher wind speeds.