Biomimetics Group
Lab infrastructure
Bird and robotics researchTo study how birds fly, develop new technology, design robots, and engage the general public I have developed state-of-the-art lab facilities and instrumentation.
Research facilities
- Large biological lab space that can be compartmentalized to study bird flight, features large windows facing north for indirect daylight
- Advanced makerspace to develop new robots and setups with daylight
- Tiltable wind tunnel with a test section cross-section of 1.0 x 0.8 m for birds & robotics
- Indoor and outdoor aviaries for various bird species
Design and prototyping infrastructure
- CAD Design
- COMSOL Multiphysics CFD & FEM Simulation
- OpenFOAM 2D & 3D CFD capacity
- Custom MATLAB modelling and analysis software
- Various in-house 3D printers and laser cutter access
- Electronics tools incl. microscopes and scopes
- Fine mechanics shop with band saw, mill & drill press etc.
Outreach cameras
- Phantom color high-speed camera, 3200 fps full frame HD (1x)
- Small Sony cameras for high school projects (8x)
Research instrumentation
- EKB high-speed projectors, 4kHz (6x)
- Phantom high-speed research cameras, 1MP @ 3200 fps full frame (6x, B/W & full color)
- Nikon photographic cameras and a wide range of lenses from macro to tele.
- XROMM biplanar fluoroscopes with 16” image intensifiers (2x)
- High-speed motion capture system, 3MP @ 1000 Hz (14 cameras; 2 systems)
- Closed-loop controlled Turbulence Generation System for wind tunnel
- Aerodynamics LaVision TOMO PIV system with DaVis software, High-speed laser, 1-10kHz, 30mJ pulse
- ATI 6-axis force sensors and amplifiers (21x)
- 1D, 2D, and 3D Aerodynamic Force Platforms
- Capacitive distance sensors, 10kHz (10x)
- Sorama 1k acoustic array, 1024 microphones
- 3D Ultrasonic anemometer 100 Hz
- 1D Dantec hot wire anemometer 10,000 Hz
- Field deployable anemometer for robotics
- B&K Seismometer & infrasound recorder
- David 3D surface scanner
- Dissection microscopes (2x)
- Multichannel sonomicrometry and EMG recorders
- A wide range of smaller research instruments
Additional research facilities and infrastructure are available in the Biomimetics Group through collaboration.
Lentink Tunnel
Bird and robotics researchI developed a one-of-a-kind wind tunnel for birds to find inspiration for designing aerial robots. The wind tunnel has very low turbulence (<0.03%) and is acoustically optimized. The test section is 1.0 x 0.8m and the wind speed is 0 – 50 m/s. Details can be found in our RSOS paper and check out the construction in this time-lapse.
SPONSORS
Society funds our research and projects through support of several agencies and organizations. The funding enables (1) a better understanding of biological flight, (2) the invention of new measurement technologies, (3) the development of innovative flying robots, (4) outreach through citizen science, and (5) a broader awareness of the bio-diversity in our backyard.
