Birds and Bees was born as a space for navigation, exploration and experimentation at the MOD Museum, tackled collaboratively by Professor Mandyam Srinivasan and Doctor Sam Leach.

Professor Mandyam (Srini) Srinivasan (University of Queensland) has spent two decades doing just that. With every buzz and flap of the wings, birds and bees have helped Srini develop his studies. Uncovering the shortcuts they use to understand and navigate the world, his research reveals how these animals fly through narrow gaps, regulate their speed, estimate the distance they flown, and make a smooth landing. These insights have led to new, biological inspired approaches to designing machine vision and other robotics – from programming drones, surveillance systems, to planetary exploration.

Srini’s collaborator, is Dr Sam Leach. Sam first met Srini when he was commissioned to paint his portrait for the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Sam is an award-winning contemporary Australian artist and adjunct at the University of South Australia. Intrigued by the historical and cultural connection between art and science, he’s particularly interested in the way that science helps art to understand the relationship between humans and animals. This installation includes a new work created by Sam especially for MOD.