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SCIENCE WORLD ABUZZ WITH INSECT ROBOTS
17 October 2006

The Australian Academy of Science congratulates Professor Mandyam Srinivasan on winning the 2006 Prime Minister's Prize for Science. Srini, a Federation Fellow at the Australian National University, was elected to the Academy of Science in 1995 and to the Royal Society of London in 2001.

Academy President Professor Kurt Lambeck said: 'Srini cracked the code of vision in the world of bees, demonstrating that the motion of the passing landscape provides the bee with a third dimension to vision. This is how bees regulate their flight and ensure a safe landing.

'It is Srini's exceptional ability to think laterally that has enabled esoteric studies to be translated into applications of enormous importance.'

'Don't forget that the front-line troops in the rescue effort after the Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11 were robots. Srini's machines can fly without pilots and have the damage to prove it. His robots can "see" around corners. This work has not escaped the attention of NASA.'

Professor Lambeck praised Srini as an exceptionally talented inter-disciplinary scientist who has combined his expertise in maths with his training as an engineer: 'I'm sure it is this background that led Srini to devise novel experiments that gave new insights into insect vision.'

Professor Lambeck thanked the Prime Minister for his continued interest in and support for science, stressing that this annual high-profile award recognises the achievements of the Australian scientific community and their contribution to the nation's social, economic and environmental future.

Further information:

The buzz about insect robots (Nova: Science in the news)

Biorobotics Vision Laboratory (Australian National University)

The Prime Minister's Prizes for Science