Swarthmore College Department of Computer Science

Sigma Xi Talk by Michael Dickinson

How Flies Fly
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
SCI 101, 4:30pm
  • 4:00 p.m. Light Snack
  • 4:30 p.m. Talk
  • 5:30 p.m. Reception

Abstract

Whether circling garbage cans or cruising through alpine meadows, flies impress us with their aerial agility. Rapid sensory processing, efficient muscles, novel aerodynamics, and a robust control system collectively make flies the most sophisticated flying machines on the planet. Recent advances in physics, engineering, and biology have increased greatly our understanding of these common, but under appreciated creatures. Flies search and explore their environment using a series of straight flight segments interspersed with stereotyped changes in heading termed saccades. Using a combination of methods, we have investigated both the sensory signals that trigger and control these rapid turns as well as the aerodynamic means by which the animals produce them. Results from these experiments provide insight into how brains control complex behavior and may even lead to the construction of a new class of miniature flying robots.

Biography

Michael Dickinson is the Zarem Professor of Bioengineering at Caltech. Visit the Dickinson Lab Website for more information.

For more information on this event or information about Swarthmore's chapter of Sigma Xi, please visit our website at http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/SigmaXi.