Falling with Style: Bats Perform Complex Aerial Rotations by Adjusting Wing Inertia.

Abstract in brief

• Bats can perform complex mid-air rotations, like body rolls and pitching maneuvers, by adjusting their wing shape and angle of attack, which involves retracting one wing during the flapping cycle.
• Unlike other flying animals, bats' large wing muscles and bones contribute to wing inertia, but they effectively use this inertia to aid in precise maneuvers, especially during landing and falling, where wing inertia plays a dominant role over aerodynamic forces.
• This ability to control wing inertia for sophisticated movements suggests that bats use their wings as multifunctional organs, which could inspire the development of advanced aerial robots with similar inertial and aerodynamic control capabilities.]