Intelligent systems have the ability to sense their environments, analyze surrounding signals, and provide logical responses. While intelligence is common in complex biological systems such as humans and animals, traditional materials like bricks or polymers are considered static and passive, lacking intelligence. For several decades, researchers have been developing stimuli-responsive smart materials that can sense their environments and exhibit basic changes in their properties. However, in recent years, significant advancements have been made in designing stimuli-responsive materials with highly advanced smart functions, involving the creative design of their structures, the combination of different materials, and the exploitation of specific physical-chemical phenomena. The focus of this symposium is on the research of these stimuli-responsive smart functions, which contribute to the development of intelligent, autonomous, and self-powered systems. Stimuli-responsive functions can be classified into three categories: analytical, regulatory, and practical functions. Analytical functions include memory, information storage, logic gates, and computing. Regulatory functions encompass self-oscillation, rectification, amplification, and self-organization. Practical functions involve motion, controlled release, shape change, targeting, pattern formation, and communication. These functions are constructed using various materials, such as stimuli-responsive hydrogels, polymers, inorganic materials, 2D materials, and biomaterials. By combining these different stimuli-responsive functions, truly intelligent systems capable of sensing, analyzing, and providing practical responses can be achieved. These smart autonomous systems with advanced operations have a wide range of potential applications, from medical devices to environmental sensing and response systems to advanced manufacturing technologies.

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