Taking Advantage of Turbulence

Otto Lilienthal, a pioneer of human aviation, once said: “To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything.” Lilienthal designed the first manned glider that could fly for long distances. In 1896 he had an accident when a gust of wind caused him to lose control of his glider; two days later he died from his injuries.

Although atmospheric turbulence was a fatal problem for Lilienthal, it is an advantage to a flying bird. Birds are capable of extracting energy from wind currents and using that energy to soar for great distances without beating their wings. Chinmay Patel is designing small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that will function more efficiently by utilizing the same energy-extraction capability as birds. UAVs are planes that perform tasks too dangerous or impractical for a human pilot. These include traffic monitoring, military reconnaissance, and atmospheric surveillance. But Patel is not content to simply do what Lilienthal called “nothing.” In addition to designing a UAV capable of harnessing the energy in wind turbulence, he plans to construct an autonomous prototype, to literally watch his creation take wing.

A highlight of Patel’s experience at Stanford has been the opportunity to work with the faculty in his department who are pioneers of the aerospace industry. His fellowship allowed him to pursue a thesis project that could draw on that expertise, but in the end, he was driven by his own curiosity. In addition, he has found time while at Stanford to fulfill a childhood dream of obtaining a pilot’s license. Now he has done “everything.”

Chinmay Patel, 2002
Office of Technology Licensing Fellow
Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics