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Name: |
David Lentink, Dr. Ir. |
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Address: |
Correspondence: |
PO Box 338 |
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NL-6700 AH Wageningen (The Netherlands) |
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Phone: |
+31 (0) 317 4 83509 |
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Fax: |
+31 (0) 317 4 83962 |
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@mail: |
David.Lentink@wur.nl |
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Skype: |
Email me for my address |
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Education:
www.lr.tudelft.nl
BSc. and MSc. in Aerospace Engineering | major: aerodynamics | TU Delft | The Netherlands
Research:
Link: Research Experimental Zoology
Link: Michael Dickinson
fish swimming | insect flight | bird flight | bio-inspired micro vehicles
I work in the experimental zoology lab of Johan van Leeuwen at Wageningen University and in the lab of Michael Dickinson at Caltech on optimal fluid mechanic strategies in animal swimming and flight, which is pleasantly challenging and surprisingly interconnected. I am fascinated by the amazing implications of Newton’s law of motion in nature and technology, especially in animal locomotion.
My everyday interest is both in fluid and structural mechanics and the interaction between fluids and structures. I love to design experiments (numerical and experimental) and bio-inspired robotic vehicles. At all times I try to intertwine experiments with theoretical insight, which remains challenging in biology, while at every corner an exiting discovery is lurking. For me, as an aerospace engineer, Jet fighters and submarines seem therefore totally boring compared to the flight of insects and birds and swimming fish (yes, I have been saved ;-)
I find biomechanics one of the more exiting fields of research at a systems level, not only because it is multi-disciplinary and deals with the evolution of life, but also because it is one of the friendlier and more cooperative fields in science. At the end of the day fascination, joy and friendship should guide scientist over self-glorification and money issues, perhaps unfeasible ideals for simple human beings, but I appreciate it that this spirit is present in the field. In summary I find it stunning how swimming and flight evolved on earth and a pleasure to collaborate on this topic with biologist, physicist, mathematicians and engineers of several universities around the world (see my current projects listed above). |
Recent Publications
Publications David Lentink
Paper highlights:
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D. Lentink, W. B. Dickson, J. L. van Leeuwen, M. H. Dickinson,
Leading-Edge Vortices Elevate Lift of Autorotating Plant Seeds, Science 324, 1438 - 1440 (2009)
D. Lentink, U.K. Müller, E.J. Stamhuis, R. de Kat, W.J.H. van Gestel, L.L.M. Veldhuis, P. Henningsson,
A. Hedenström, J.J. Videler, J.L. van Leeuwen,
How swifts control their glide performance with morphing wings, Nature 446, 1082 - 1085 (2007)
U.K.Müller, D. Lentink,
Turning on a Dime, Science 306, 1899 - 1900 (2004)
(look for pdf at bottom of this page)
Personal awards:
Prof. Dobbinga award | for the development of a fluid mechanics practical | 2003
AIAA best paper award | for the best fluid dynamics conference paper of 2003 | 2004
Young Scientist Award | awarded by the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) | 2005
Best PhD presentation | BeNeLux Zoology conference | 2005
Best PhD presentation | WIAS Science Day | 2007
Bolk Prize, for best young scientist presentation | Netherlands Society for Anatomy | 2007
Zoology Prize | Royal Dutch Zoological Society | 2009
Biophysics thesis award | Dutch society for Biophysics and Biomedical technology | 2009
Publication prize 2009 | Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR | 2009
Group awards (with team Delfly):
Most exotic MAV award | first American-European MAV contest | 2005
ID-NL prize | best Dutch innovation in category aerospace and composites | 2005
Ritsema van Eckprijs | 2006