Dr. Tsevi Beatus

Understanding flight control at small scales

Flying insects can perform a wide range or aerial maneuvers better than any man-made flying device. Some insects can land upside down, change direction in a split of a second and engage prey or mates in mid-air. To achieve such impressive capabilities, insects have evolved unique flight mechanisms, including a control system that exhibits the fastest reflexes in the animal kingdom.

Our goal is to understand these flight control mechanisms experimentally and eventually implement them in robotic systems. This challenge involves cutting-edge topics in control theory, fluid dynamics, physiology, neuroscience and robotics.