Brian Taylor

Brian Taylor is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Case Western Reserve University's Case School of Engineering. His research focuses on understanding how animals use magnetoreception and sensory processing for navigation, with the goal of applying these principles to develop robust, low-cost autonomous systems. He leads the WAKANDA lab, which explores biomimetic solutions for navigation challenges in environments where GPS is unavailable or unreliable.

Dr. Taylor earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University (2005, 2009, 2012). His work bridges biomechanics, computational neuroscience, and robotics, emphasizing the integration of animal-inspired mechanisms into engineered systems. Recent projects include modeling magnetic field navigation in leeches and developing bioinspired algorithms for marine robotics and space exploration.

His research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining field studies, computational modeling, and hardware prototyping. Key themes include distributed sensing, neural adaptation to environmental cues, and energy-efficient navigation strategies observed in migratory animals.