Research

Axel Michelsen is distinguished for his biophysical studies of sound communication. He discovered that the locust ear can analyze sound frequencies and proposed a physical mechanism for this ability. He pioneered the use of laser vibrometry in studies of the mechanics of ears and sound producing organs. Much of his work concerns the mechanisms of directional hearing in animals, in which the ear drum receives sound at both its outer and inner surface. He has also studied the sound fields around singing insects. Cooperating with Martin Lindauer, he has studied various aspects of communication in honeybees, especially how bees are able to perceive information about distance and direction to food sources by following dances in total darkness.