Thomas L. Daniel studies the biomechanics of molecular motors in a variety of animals. He and his team at the Daniel Lab rely on computer programs and engineering models to understand the microscopic intricacies of how animals move. Having a better understanding of animal locomotion may one day help researchers design better robots. Tom's work integrates concepts in zoology, engineering, and mathematics.

Tom is the Joan and Richard Komen Professor of Biology at the University of Washington. After receiving his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin, he went on to Duke University to study the mechanics and control of animal movement, receiving his Ph.D. in 1982. From 1982 to 1984, he was a Bantrell Fellow at the California Institute of Technology, where he studied mathematical aspects of movement control. Since his arrival at UW in 1984, Tom has studied neuro-muscular dynamics in human and animal motion. He enjoys using a mixture of mathematical and computational models to study motion in biology, from the level of molecules to that of whole animals. He collaborates with undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty researchers in the School of Medicine, the College of Engineering, and his home, the College of Arts and Sciences. He is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship (1985), a University of Washington Distinguished Teaching Award (1989), and the University of Washington Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award (2002).

Facilitation graphics by Peter Durand of Alphachimp Studio

This presentation includes the Q&A session with Tom Daniel and Janine Benyus.

This presentation is one of many from the IT Conversations archives of Pop!Tech 2004 held in Camden, Maine, October 21-23, 2004.