Symposium SF05—Autonomous Materials for the Next-Generation of Smart Systems

An autonomous function is the ability to perform the cycle of sensing, communicating, computing, and reacting to stimuli. Nature provides us with engineered examples of autonomous systems; investigating the governing mechanisms of such provides the fundamental principles for realizing autonomous function at the material, device, and system levels.

The goal of Autonomous Materials is to create a new and exciting vision for material composites. These composite materials will encompass effort from the “Smart Materials” and “Smart Systems” community (PZTs for example), as well as new work in soft structural sensing (e.g., stretchable photonic networks), structural energy, dynamic mechanical energy (electrohydraulic energy storage), material computation (e.g., BZ reactions), self healing, ionotronics, stretchable electronics, etc. One specific difference in our goals from prior topics such as Smart Materials is that we will prioritize research at scales and properties that allow for processing as materials (e.g., injection molding, 3D printing, layup, etc). Further, we expect that many of the proposed advances in Autonomous Materials will stem from bioinspiration; we will use the nervous systems of animals and to what levels the nervous systems (i.e., sympathetic or parasympathetic) are mimicked as a yard stick towards our progress. Finally, we will focus utility of this topic towards applications; as such, we expect there to be a broad span of technology readiness levels represented in our space (robots, medical devices, analytical chemistry, rheology, additive manufacturing, etc).

Essentially, this symposium aims to bring together an interdisciplinary group of researchers from chemistry, materials science, physics, robotics, biology, medicine, and engineering to discuss recent developments in autonomous materials, devices and systems, and their applications. We aim to reinstitute autonomous systems at the forefront of material science and innovation, emphasizing the potential for industrial applications.

Topics will include:

Sensing, responsive, adaptive materials and system
Programmed materials for multifunctionality, morphing and adaptivity
Self-healing polymers
Soft matter for autonomous function
Stimuli-responsive hydrogels
Bio-active materials and systems
Bio-inspired autonomous material
Autonomous biological material and system
Autonomous microfluidic device
Simulation and modelling of autonomous systems
Robotics with autonomous function
Application-driven design of Autonomous systems based on AI or machine learning
Energy harvesting and storage in multifunctional systems

Invited Speakers:

Hyeon Seok An (Cornell University, USA)
Tommy Angelini (University of Florida, USA)
Phil Buskohl (Air Force Research Laboratory, USA)
Yoel Fink (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)
Daniel I. Goldman (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)
Jiyun Kim (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea)
Shingo Meada (Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan)
Markus P. Nemitz (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA)
Ralph G. Nuzzo (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
Jang-Ung Park (Yonsei University, Republic of Korea)
James Pikul (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
Nancy Sottos (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
Jeong-Yun Sun (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)
Michael Tolley (University of California, San Diego, USA)
Ryan L. Truby (Northwestern University, USA)
Zhong Lin Wang (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)