Objective
Insects bristle with sensors, but how do they exploit this rich sensory information to achieve their extraordinary stability and manoeuvrability? Bird and insect wings deform in flight, and have passively deployable structures such as feathers and flaps, but how do they exploit these features when aircraft designers shy away from aeroelasticity? Birds fly without a vertical tailfin, but how do they maintain yaw stability when most aircraft require one to fly safely? Questions such as these drive my research on bird and insect flight dynamics. My research is unique in using the engineering tools of flight dynamics and control theory to analyse physiological and biomechanical data from real animals. One research track will use measurements of the forces and torques generated by insects flying tethered in a virtual-reality flight simulator to parameterise their equations of motion, in order to model the input-output relationships of their sensorimotor control systems. A second research track will measure the detailed wing kinematics and deformations of free-flying insects in order to analyse the effects of aeroelasticity on flight manoeuvres. A third research track will measure the wing and tail kinematics of free-flying birds using onboard wireless video cameras, and use system identification techniques to model how these affect the body dynamics measured using onboard instrumentation. Applying these novel experimental techniques will allow me to make and test quantitative predictions about flight stability and control. This highly interdisciplinary research bridges the fields of physiology and biomechanics, with significant feeds to and from engineering. My research will break new ground, developing novel experimental techniques and theoretical models in order to test and generate new hypotheses of adaptive function. Its broader impacts include the public interest in all things flying, and potential military and civilian applications in flapping micro-air vehicles.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering control systems
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors optical sensors
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering aircraft
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
- natural sciences biological sciences biophysics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2007-StG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.