Merve Acer Kalafat is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. She specializes in robotics, control systems, compliant mechanisms, and additive manufacturing, with a focus on sensor integration and advanced material applications. Her research involves origami-inspired mechanisms, tactile sensors, and flexible electronics. Her work spans interdisciplinary areas such as piezoelectric actuators, parallel manipulators, and neural network-based performance analysis. Collaborations include studies on textile-based strain sensors and inkjet-printed flexible electronics. She has supervised 3 ongoing theses and contributed to over 20 publications since 2011. Key research interests include improving manufacturing processes (e.g., FDM parameters), developing foldable robotics systems, and advancing tactile sensing technologies for soft robotics applications.
Dr. Xiong Yi is an Assistant Professor at the School of System Design and Intelligent Manufacturing (SDIM) at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. He leads the Computational Design and Fabrication (CoDeFab) research group, focusing on the integration of computational design methods with advanced manufacturing technologies, particularly in the field of additive manufacturing. Dr. Xiong has established himself as a leading researcher in computational design for additive manufacturing, with a strong international research background spanning Europe and Asia. Dr. Xiong's educational journey includes: Doctor of Science (DSc) in Engineering Design and Production from Aalto University, Finland (2012-2016) Master of Science (MSc) in Machine Automation from Tampere University of Technology, Finland (2010-2012) Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Mechanical Engineering from Hubei University of Technology, China (2006-2010) Dr. Xiong's research primarily focuses on computational design and fabrication methodologies, with particular emphasis on design for additive manufacturing (DfAM), intelligent manufacturing systems, and smart materials. His work bridges the gap between theoretical design principles and practical manufacturing constraints, developing novel approaches for the production of complex engineered products. He has pioneered research in continuous fiber-reinforced composite additive manufacturing, developing innovative process planning and optimization techniques that enable the production of high-performance structural components. His research in electrothermally controlled origami and 4D printing of smart materials represents cutting-edge work at the intersection of materials science, mechanical engineering, and computational design. Dr. Xiong's recent publications reveal a strong focus on continuous fiber-reinforced composites, with significant contributions to 4D printing, metamaterials, and intelligent process planning. His work integrates computational design with manufacturing constraints, creating novel approaches for topology optimization, toolpath planning, and structural design that consider both performance requirements and manufacturability limitations. The research demonstrates increasing sophistication in materials science applications, particularly in programmable materials and multi-functional structures. Dr. Xiong has received multiple prestigious awards for his research contributions, including: Best Presentation Award at the 24th Chinese Conference on Mechanisms and Machine Science (IFToMM CCMMS2024) Best Presentation Award at the International Conference on Frontiers of Additive Manufacturing Research (RAAM 2024) Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Design for 3D Printing (ICD3DP 2023) PhD Scholarship from Aalto University (2016) Research Travel Grant from the International Association for Vehicle System Dynamics (IAVSD) (2013) National Scholarship from the Ministry of Education (2008) As a dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Xiong serves as a PhD supervisor at SUSTech and has successfully guided students who have gone on to pursue advanced studies and careers at prestigious institutions including Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Beihang University, DJI Innovations, and Singapore's A*STAR research institute. His research is supported by multiple competitive grants, including key projects from the National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and provincial and municipal funding agencies. Dr. Xiong also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Engineering Design and as a guest editor for Composites Communications, contributing to the advancement of his field through scholarly service. Dr. Xiong leads the CoDeFab research group, which maintains a strong collaborative culture focused on 'design leading manufacturing, manufacturing driving design, and digital-intelligent integration.' The group has developed several advanced manufacturing platforms, including multi-axis continuous fiber-reinforced composite additive manufacturing systems, smart composite additive manufacturing platforms, and multifunctional soft matter open manufacturing platforms. With a focus on practical applications and innovation, the CoDeFab group actively collaborates with industry partners and has established a joint laboratory to bridge academic research with industrial implementation.
Dr. Carlos Aguiar serves as Assistant Professor in the Industrial Design Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's School of Art and Design, with affiliate status in Informatics at the School of Information Sciences. He directs the Design, Technology, and Society Lab, where he investigates human-artifact interactions through critical design frameworks and cyber-physical systems development. His academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in Design & Human Behavior from Cornell University (2021) with minors in Science and Technology Studies and Information Science, an M.S. in Design Computing from the University of Washington (2017), and a Bachelor's in Architecture & Urbanism from Brazil's Universidade Estácio de Sá (2012). Aguiar's research integrates Science and Technology Studies, Design Philosophy, and Critical Theory to develop technologies that foster social change while examining material culture's societal implications. His dual-focus methodology simultaneously creates tangible artifacts that enhance human-agent-material relations and analyzes how emerging technologies shape societal structures through empirical investigation and critical reflection. This approach prioritizes inclusivity in future-making processes and examines emergent behaviors in technological appropriation. His publication trajectory (2016-2024) reveals consistent advancement in human-computer interaction, particularly in assistive technologies for rehabilitation and autism support, social interaction design in public spaces, and architectural robotics for community building. Key thematic developments include the evolution from single-user wearable devices (Erglove, GripAid) to community-scale cyber-physical systems (communIT, transFORM), with recent work expanding into eco-consciousness and restorative environments through socially interactive robotics. No scientific awards were documented in the provided source materials As lab director, Aguiar cultivates interdisciplinary collaboration between design, informatics, and engineering disciplines. His grant activities focus on developing cyber-physical artifacts that transform underused public spaces into community engagement hubs while addressing societal challenges through human-centered technological innovation. The Design, Technology, and Society Lab functions as an experimental platform where theoretical frameworks from STS and critical design directly inform the creation of responsive environments, objects, and spaces that actively shape social interactions and cultural practices.
Tobias Batik is a Researcher in the Department of Virtual and Augmented Reality at Technische Universität Wien . His work focuses on haptic devices for virtual reality and mixed metro map visualization, contributing to projects like Action-Origami Inspired Haptic Devices for Virtual Reality (2023) and Shiftly: A Novel Origami Shape-Shifting Haptic Device for Virtual Reality (2025). His research spans Human-Computer Interaction , Computer Graphics , and Interactive Systems , with a particular emphasis on origami-inspired design and shape-shifting interfaces. Recent publications highlight trends in Virtual Reality and Data Visualization , including metro map layout algorithms and user-specified motifs. Contact: tobias.batik@tuwien.ac.at .
Majid Taghavi is a Research Fellow at the Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London. He leads the Soft Robotic Transducer Lab, focusing on developing advanced soft actuators for healthcare and robotics applications. Previously, he held a postdoctoral position at the University of Bristol’s SoftLab, where he pioneered artificial muscle technologies. He earned his PhD in BioRobotics from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna with highest honors and an Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) scholarship. His research interests include soft robotics, materials engineering, and actuator design. Key projects involve creating monolithic soft robots with self-sensing, variable stiffness, and high contraction actuators. Recent work explores applications in wearable, implantable, and surgical robotics. Notable achievements include developing electric actuators with 98% contraction and human-muscle-equivalent power density. His articles highlight advancements in electrostatic actuators, dielectric elastomers, and biomimetic designs. Awards include the IIT scholarship and academic honors for doctoral work. He advises on open positions in his lab and collaborates across disciplines. His labs (Soft Robotic Transducers Lab and Robotics Forum) drive innovations in soft robotics systems and transducers.
Riddhi Das is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Freiburg, affiliated with the Cluster of Excellence liv MatS (Freiburg Center for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies). Their research focuses on soft robotics, particularly the design, fabrication, and actuation of pneumatic soft robots. Current work emphasizes developing soft autonomous machine (SaM) systems with integrated logic gates and sensors for environmental interaction. Key research interests include biomimetic robotics inspired by biological systems such as seahorses and earthworms, peristaltic locomotion in granular media, and modular robotics for multi-terrain environments. The lab aims to merge advancements from liv MatS research areas into fully operational autonomous robotic systems. Publications highlight innovations in bioinspired robotics, granular medium locomotion, and programmable materials. While no awards are explicitly mentioned, their work aligns with cutting-edge interdisciplinary robotics research. Advising and grants details are not provided in the text. The lab is part of the liv MatS initiative, focusing on interactive materials and bioinspired technologies.
Dr. Sepideh Ghodrat is an Assistant Professor of Shape Morphing Design at TU Delft's Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. She bridges materials science and design, focusing on stimuli-responsive materials for dynamic, interactive products. Her research emphasizes 4D printing, smart materials, and sustainable applications. Research Projects include 4D Printing Magnetically Activated Shape Morphing Objects and SereniSleeve (wearables for anxiety modulation). Courses taught: Materials and Manufacturing (2023-2024). Research Interests : Shape Morphing Design (SMD) Stimuli-Responsive Materials (e.g., shape memory alloys, polymers) 4D Printing and Magnetic Soft Materials Applications in healthcare, automotive, and sustainability Key Contributions : Developed modular self-folding hinges (Mimosa Kit). Explored haptic wearables for visually impaired users. Advocates for adaptive, environment-responsive products. Labs/Teams : Involved in multiple interdisciplinary research teams at TU Delft, focusing on smart materials and sustainable design engineering.
Bin Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of California Merced. His research focuses on fluid dynamics, microfluidics, and active matter systems, with emphasis on bacterial motility, geometric control of fluid flows, and origami-based mechanics. He explores applications in biomedical engineering and material science through innovative microfluidic device designs and theoretical frameworks. His work integrates experimental and computational approaches to study phenomena such as symmetry-protected flows, bacterial behavior in structured environments, and topological properties of origami metamaterials. Liu’s contributions bridge physics, engineering, and biology, addressing challenges in lab-on-a-chip technologies and active matter systems. Key research topics include stress-free microfluidic manipulation, size-dependent transport in micropillar arrays, and the dynamics of bacterial aggregates. His studies often reveal how geometric and symmetry principles can be leveraged to control fluid flows and microbial behavior at microscopic scales.
Daniel Aukes is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University's School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, where he directs the IDEAlab . His research focuses on integrating design, manufacturing, and data-driven analysis to create affordable, accessible robots for niche environments. Education: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University (2013) M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University (2009) B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University (2004) IDEAlab projects emphasize innovative fabrication techniques and materials paired with analytical methods to model complex robotic systems. His work spans soft robotics, foldable structures, and tunable compliance, with applications in underwater and terrestrial autonomous vehicles. Recent publications highlight trends in soft robotics , origami-inspired design , compliant mechanisms , and data-driven optimization . Key subfields include tunable stiffness, embedded sensors, and bio-inspired locomotion for quadrupedal and swimming robots. Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2020) Wyss Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013-2015) He has advised doctoral students such as Roozbeh Khodambashi and Yuhao Jiang , while teaching courses like Embedded Systems Design Project and Foldable Robotics . The IDEAlab develops tools for rapid prototyping of laminate robots and explores manufacturing innovations like VoxelFuse and PopupCAD.
Professor Friedrich Simmel (*1970) holds the Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biosystems at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) within the TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience. His research laboratory is located at Am Coulombwall 4a in Garching near Munich, where he leads a vibrant research group focused on the physics of synthetic biological systems. Professor Simmel's research interests center on bionanotechnology, particularly artificial molecular machines and nanostructures made from DNA molecules, as well as the design of artificial biochemical control circuits. His work bridges physics, chemistry, and biology to create novel synthetic biosystems with programmable functions. Key research areas include DNA origami, DNA nanotechnology, synthetic gene circuits, and biomimetic systems. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward increasingly complex DNA-based nanodevices with applications in biosensing, nanomedicine, and synthetic biology. The research shows progression from fundamental DNA nanostructure design to functional systems with practical applications in diagnostics and biocomputation. His group has pioneered approaches for creating DNA-based nanorobots, synthetic membrane channels, and programmable biochemical oscillators. ERC Advanced Grant (2015) Human frontier science program (HFSP) young investigator award (2006) Emmy Noether Young Researcher of the German Research Foundation (2002) acatech - the German Academy of Science and Engineering (2013) Professor Simmel actively mentors numerous students and junior researchers, as evidenced by the many co-instructors listed on his practical courses. His research has been supported by prestigious grants including the ERC Advanced Grant. His laboratory maintains strong collaborations across disciplines, working with researchers in microfluidics, synthetic biology, and biomedical engineering. The group operates within TUM's advanced infrastructure for biophysics and nanotechnology, including facilities for electron microscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography.
Dr. Gijs Huisman is a researcher at the Delft University of Technology's Industrial Design Engineering faculty, specializing in Human-Centered Design and Perceptual Intelligence. His work focuses on haptics technology, mediated social touch, and multisensory interaction design. He leads projects like Dark Haptics and ShareYourReality , exploring haptic feedback in mobile interfaces and virtual avatar co-embodiment. His research bridges disciplines such as material science, cognitive science, and ethics to design inclusive technologies. Key Areas : Haptic wearables, affective computing, food interaction, and ethical AI. Recent Work : Investigating shape-memory alloys for assistive devices and developing tools for studying digital social touch ethics. Collaborations : Active in transdisciplinary teams addressing DEI in robotics and universal design. His research emphasizes practical applications in healthcare (e.g., fidget devices for stress reduction) and consumer products (e.g., aesthetically pleasing headphones). He teaches the Dare to Design Studio course, fostering innovative design thinking. Though no formal awards are listed, his prolific publication record (over 80 articles) demonstrates sustained impact in haptics and HCI fields. He actively engages with industry collaborations through TU Delft's research labs and graduate programs.
Gaurav Arya is a Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University, with additional appointments in the Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering. His research laboratory employs physics-based computational tools to investigate biological and soft-material systems at the molecular scale. Ph.D. from University of Notre Dame (2003) B.Tech. from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (1998) Research focuses on: Molecular modeling and simulations Statistical mechanics DNA nanotechnology Viral DNA packaging Chromatin biophysics Polymer-nanoparticle composites Recent research trends emphasize AI-driven materials discovery and programmable DNA nanostructures. Key grants include: NSF DMREF: Architecting DNA nanodevices (2023-2027) DOE Mesoscale Self-Assembly (2020-2027) UC San Diego Ligand-Nanocrystal Interlayer Studies (2024-2027) Scientific contributions: Featured in 2025 Nature Communications on DNA superstructures 2022 Science Advances on DNA nanodevice reconfiguration 2021 PNAS on viral DNA packaging motors
Nadia Figueroa is the Shalini and Rajeev Misra Presidential Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) Department at the University of Pennsylvania . She holds secondary appointments in Computer and Information Science (CIS) and Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE) , and is a core faculty member at the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing & Perception (GRASP) Laboratory . Before joining Penn, she was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT's CSAIL under Prof. Julie A. Shah and earned her Ph.D. at EPFL with Prof. Aude Billard. Her academic journey includes research roles at DLR and NYU Abu Dhabi , along with degrees from Monterrey Tech (B.Sc.) and TU Dortmund (M.Sc.) . Education: Ph.D. in Robotics, Control and Intelligent Systems, EPFL (2019) M.Sc. in Automation and Robotics, TU Dortmund B.Sc. in Mechatronics, Monterrey Tech Her research focuses on adaptive intelligence for robots to learn from and interact with humans, emphasizing fluid collaboration in safety-critical applications. Key areas include reactive control algorithms , human-robot co-manipulation , and real-time navigation . Techniques integrate machine learning , control theory , and perception to ensure stability, safety, and robustness in dynamic environments. Recent work trends highlight reactive motion policies for imitation learning, dynamical systems modulation with non-convex obstacles, and EEG-based intent detection for assistive robotics. She also explores soft robotics with MORF systems and SE(3) control for end-effector precision. Her publications reflect interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of robotics, AI, and human biomechanics . She has taught MEAM-520 Introduction to Robotics at Penn and served as Head Teaching Assistant at EPFL for courses like MICRO-401 Machine Learning Programming . Her Figueroa (Human-Centered) Robotics Lab , established in 2022, collaborates with institutions like MIT and EPFL to advance fluid human-robot autonomy.
Sisi Fan is a Researcher at the 2nd Physics Institute, University of Stuttgart, specializing in DNA nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Her work focuses on engineering DNA-based nanoscale systems for applications in materials science, biomedicine, and molecular computing. Her research interests include DNA origami structures, programmable molecular systems, and their integration into synthetic cells and diagnostic platforms. Notable projects involve reconfigurable DNA networks for membrane engineering and spatiotemporal control of biochemical reactions. Recent publications highlight advancements in DNA-based photonic materials, enzyme-free catalytic circuits, and nanomedicine applications using gold nanostars for targeted therapy. She explores interdisciplinary interfaces between nanotechnology and cell biology, with contributions to cellular nanomechanics and immune response modulation via nanoparticle systems. Dr. Fan collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to advance nanotechnology-driven solutions in diagnostics, therapeutics, and biomaterials. Her lab at the University of Stuttgart emphasizes both fundamental research and translational biomedical applications.
WANG Zhisong is an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, leading the Molecular Motors Lab. His research focuses on experimental development of artificial molecular motors, particularly translational motors that differ from rotational systems awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with applications in biomedical nanotechnologies and precision engineering. Research Interests: The lab specializes in DNA-based molecular motors powered by light or chemical fuels, combining biophysical/biochemical techniques with stochastic thermodynamics. Applications include nanorobotics, DNA origami platforms, nano-assembly lines, and autonomous motion systems. Publications: Recent work explores light-selective control of DNA motors (2024), advanced nanorobotics via DNA origami (2023), and theoretical limits in directional fidelity (2013). Themes span sustainable motion, color-responsive systems, and integration of molecular motors with structural DNA nanotechnology. Contact: Office S16-07-07, Tel +65 6516 2606, Email phywangz@nus.edu.sg.
