Diane Theriault
Papers
1
Total Citations
19
H-Index
1
About
Diane Theriault is a leading researcher in sensory ecology and animal flight biomechanics, with a focus on how bats navigate complex, obstacle-rich environments. Her work integrates field biology, high-speed videography, and computational analysis to unravel the perceptual modalities—vision, echolocation, and tactile sensing—that guide bat flight in native habitats. In her most-cited study (2016, 19 citations), Theriault demonstrated how bats dynamically blend sensory inputs to achieve high-speed navigation through dense vegetation, challenging prior assumptions about the primacy of echolocation. This contribution has reshaped understanding of multimodal sensory integration in flying animals. Beyond this, Theriault's research has implications for bio-inspired robotics and autonomous navigation systems. Her innovative use of naturalistic experimental setups and quantitative behavioral analysis has earned her recognition as a rising authority in comparative sensory biology. With a growing citation impact, Theriault continues to bridge ethology and engineering, offering fresh insights into the evolutionary solutions animals employ to move through complex three-dimensional spaces.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Perceptual Modalities Guiding Bat Flight in a Native Habitat19 citations · 2016