Morphing materials

Soft structures can easily change their shapes via liquid transportation such as capillary flows, diffusion, and osmosis. Such fluid-solid interaction can be observed in the swelling of cellulose sponges, capillary-induced deformation, and clustering of wet hair. We study the interplay between fluid flows and solid deformation. Based on the fundamental studies, we develop new materials that can change shape or properties more quickly, efficiently, and precisely, as well as to understand how these materials can be used in a wide range of applications, such as robotics, aerospace, and biomedical devices.