Dune Ornithopter

Hi everyone!

In this project, I’ll show you how I made a cool-looking ornithopter using cardboard. If you’ve seen the movie Dune, you probably noticed those awesome dragonfly-like flying machines. I wanted to make something similar, but simple and easy to build using cardboard and actuator.

This is not a flying version, but the wings are flap when you turn on the switch, and it looks super cool. It’s a fun build if you enjoy sci-fi, crafts, or want to try something different with cardboard.

Let’s get started!

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I built the bottom body using cardboard. I shaped the cardboard into a strong platform that can support the wing mechanism on top.This part holds the main components flapping mechanism.

Joined together all side frames except the top, used with Fevicol as shown.

For the wing flapping joint, I wanted a smooth, flexible movement, so I used a marble as a ball joint. This helps the wings move up and down freely.

To hold the marble in place, I made a small aluminum frame that grips it from both sides. I shaped the aluminum to fit snugly around the marble, leaving just enough room for it to rotate inside. This acts like a mini gimbal for the wings.

You can see in the pictures how the frame holds the marble while still allowing it to move. This joint will connect to the flapping mechanism.

To hold the wing gimbal in place, I designed a side aluminum sheet bracket as shown in the pictures. This sheet has two folded sections with holes, allowing the gimbal to be securely attached.

The gimbal fits between the two flap and is fixed using a pin. This allows the wing joint to rotate smoothly while staying firmly in position.

For the flapping motion of the wings, I used a small DC motor connected to a circular wheel. This wheel works like a simple crank system.

I fixed a small rod onto the edge of the wheel. As the wheel rotates, the rod moves in a circular motion just like a piston. This rod is then connected to the flapping mechanism.

So when the motor spins the wheel, the rod pushes and pulls the wings up and down, creating a smooth flapping action. It’s a simple setup that gives a realistic wing movement with just one motor.

A rectangular aluminum piece is used as the base I used four pen refills arranged at 90° interval one for each wing. These act as guide sleeves so that each wing’s movement is controlled.

These bottom toothpicks are inserted into additional pen refills attached to the bottom of the ornithopter’s frame. This extra set of refills keeps the toothpicks (and therefore the wings) aligned, converting the rotary motion into smooth linear movement. the roatory wheel will be not struck.

pen refills at the top for the wing connection and at the bottom on the main frame ensures that the flapping mechanism remains steady.

I lightly sanded the marble's surface using sandpaper inside (respect to ornithopter). then attached the tooth stick and cutoff as much required.

First, I scratched outside (respect to ornithopter) of the marble gently using sandpaper. This helps create a rough surface for better grip and adhesion.

I used a dried wooden stick (about 16 cm long) to give it extra support and structure. This piece will later play a role in transmitting motion to the wings or other parts of the ornithopter.

To increase the stability of the frame, an aluminum sheet is attached between the two side panels. This cross-support acts as a brace, keeping the frame rigid and preventing wobbling during the flapping motion.

I spotted a beautiful dragonfly resting near the outside lamp of my house. Its wings shining under the light, and it looked like a tiny night guardian. Curious and excited, I gently brought it to my studio lamp to take a closer look and clicked this photo.

After capturing the moment, I carefully released it back into the night

To support the whole ornithopter, I created a simple stand using a 10 cm pencil as the vertical post. The pencil is held upright by a 90° angled piece, which acts like a clamp to keep it steady.

This angled holder is then attached to a rectangularplastic base, giving it proper support. This setup works well as a display stand while allowing the ornithopter to stay elevated and flap freely during testing.

the tooth sticks are attached to the head of the ornithopter.

The top frame is placed carefully over the main body of the ornithopter. I aligned the frame with the side bodies and attached it using glue, making sure all the moving parts had enough space to work freely. This top frame adds extra strength and helps keep everything in position during flapping.

To make the wings, I used lightweight paper and cut it into a shape that looks similar to dragonfly wings. These paper pieces are then glued onto dried wooden sticks, which act as the frame or bones of the wings.

The sticks are already connected to the flapping mechanism, so once the glue dried, the wings moved smoothly with the motion.

I made landing legs using dried sticks. I cut the sticks to equal lengths and glued them under the main body. it will showcase more like real.

To give the ornithopter a cool finishing touch, I added small headlights at the front. I used mini LEDs and connected them to a small battery, placing them in the head section for a clean look.

o power both the DC motor for flapping and the headlights, I used a TP4056 module. The TP4056 is a lithium battery charging and protection module, which ensures safe charging and consistent power deliver