Wang Yifan

Dr. Wang Yifan serves as a Nanyang Assistant Professor at the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, where he leads pioneering research in robotic materials and soft robotics since joining in December 2020. His work bridges mechanical engineering, materials science, and nanotechnology to develop systems with unprecedented environmental interaction capabilities.

His academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Peking University (2011) and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago (2016), followed by postdoctoral training at Caltech's Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (2017-2020).

Dr. Wang's research centers on designing robotic materials incorporating soft matter building blocks (granular particles, colloids, nanoparticles) to achieve sensing, response, and communication with environments. This spans soft robotics, mechanical metamaterials, and intelligent structures, driving applications in smart fabrics for exoskeletons/haptic perception, microscale shape-changing robots, and active phononic metamaterials. His methodology integrates advanced manufacturing with jamming mechanics and 3D-printed fabric systems for variable-stiffness solutions.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2014-2023) reveals a strong trajectory toward programmable matter systems, with increasing focus on energy harvesting, touchless interfaces, and wearable robotics. His work consistently appears in premier journals including Nature, Matter, and Nature Materials, demonstrating interdisciplinary impact across materials science, robotics, and nanotechnology.

Key scientific recognition includes:

• Grainger Foundation Fellowship in Experimental Physics
• Nanyang Assistant Professorship Award

As principal investigator of the Robotic Materials research group at NTU, Dr. Wang actively mentors graduate students and secures competitive research funding. His work has received extensive global media coverage, highlighting real-world relevance in human-robot interaction and sustainable technology development.

The Robotic Materials group operates at the NTU School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, focusing on soft robots, mechanical metamaterials, and intelligent structures. Current projects emphasize translating fundamental discoveries in particle assemblies and phononic lattices into applications for wearable assistive devices, haptic interfaces, and environmental monitoring networks.