Bioinspired Engineering

Brian Taylor shares his research on magnetoreception. Animals like birds and sea turtles use magnetoreception to use the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation, but it’s not a sense that’s well understood. Brian uses animal magnetoreception to engineer new ways to navigate the globe. Even cooler, he also takes hypotheses for how magnetoreception works in animals and uses computational simulations to digitally test them. Check out this episode to hear more about Brian’s research and learn more about this little known sensory ability.

Guest

Brian Taylor: Dr. Brian K. Taylor is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Prior to this, he was an Assistant Professor of Biology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he directed the Quantitative Biology and Engineering Sciences (QBES) Laboratory (now WAKANDA). Prior to his academic appointments, Dr. Taylor was a Civil Service Research Mechanical Engineer with the United States Air Force Research Laboratory. His research uses engineering tools and approaches to better understand biological systems while simultaneously using an understanding of biology to develop the next generation of robust engineered autonomous systems. Dr. Taylor is a triple-alumnus of Case Western Reserve University, holding a BSE (Aerospace Engineering), and a MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Taylor is also a musician (trumpeter, arranger, and composer), and released an album titled “Spirito Sereno” in 2016.