"Flyman" Michael Dickinson Named a MacArthur Fellow

By Genevieve Shiffrar

October 29, 2001

MacArthur Fellow Michael Dickinson

Integrative Biology Professor Michael Dickinson loves to watch blowflies in flight. Indeed, he has devoted his professional career to studying Drosophila flight control mechanisms and for this the MacArthur Foundation has offered him a"genius" fellowship with a stipend of $500,000 for his research.

According to Jonathan Fanton, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, "The announcement of the MacArthur Fellows offers an opportunity to focus on the importance of the creative individual in society. Whether working alone or within an organization, these are people who provide the imagination and fresh ideas that can improve people's lives and bring about movement on important issues." The Foundation's emphasis on creativity in the selection of the fellows highlights Dr. Dickinson's extraordinarily novel approaches to the study of fly aerodynamics.

Professor Dickinson describes flies as "nature's fighter pilots" and believes them to be the most aerodynamically sophisticated of all flying animals. Flies can land upside down and make 90° turns at high speeds. However, because they flap their wings extremely fast—nearly 200 times a second—it is difficult to study them.

Dr. Dickinson and his colleagues have designed a robotic fly that simulates their movement at a much slower speed. Their "Robofly" consists of a 15-inch robotic wing controlled by computers and suspended in a vat filled with two tons of mineral oil. Air bubbles released in the tank show the aerodynamics of the wing flapping and sensors measure changes in force along its surface.

Dickinson and his lab also have created a virtual reality studio for flies. Tethered on a rod in the unique "Fly-o-Rama," a fly can be subjected to a convincing simulated experience of motion. As the panoramic display changes, the fly changes its flight pattern. Lab members videotape flies to record their movements (See an image of a tethered fly in the L&S Integrative Biology Image Gallery).

The US government is interested in applications of Dickinson's work. With funding from the US Navy and the Department of Defense, Professor Dickinson is working with his colleagues in the College of Engineering to design "Micromechanical Flying Insects." Approximately the size of the average house fly, these inexpensive miniature robots may have a wide variety of uses, including weather data gathering and surveillance. They are expected to be airborne by 2004.

At 38, Michael Dickinson has made extraordinary advances in the study of insect flight. With the $500,000 MacArthur "genius" award, perhaps only the flies know what he may accomplish next!

Related Links:

The Dickinson Lab in Integrative Biology

UC Berkeley Press Release, "UC Berkeley expert on insect flight received prestigious MacArthur 'genius' award" (October 24, 2001)

Berkeley Journalism student Jason Spingarn-Koff created a multimedia website, Fly-o-Rama, showcasing Michael Dickinson's work.