Prof. Yang Li  
Professor

Contact: yang.li@whu.edu.cn  

My research is about morphing structures and seeking to program the shape and nonlinear mechanical response during morphing. One problem I am working on is programmed morphing with easy actuation. One application direction that I am currently pushing is soft and MEMS electronics that involve large deformation, like tactile sensors or IMU, as I was transferred into an integrated circuits department from the previous mechanical engineering department due to the current Chinese national strategy. 

My current goals: 

(1) Fundamental research on new methods related to the inverse design of morphing structures. 

    (i) Topology-geometry optimization for nonlinear and large deformation structures. 

    (ii) The emergence of multi-stable and pseudo-mechanisms from overconstrained structures, and how to control such emergence inversely. 

    (iii) Explore the rich formation of multi-compatible (multi-stable) structures, like in origami and kirigami, and fulfill their "easy-to-actuate" properties in illustrative applications.

(2) Application-oriented research.

    (i) Mechanical engineering

        (a) Deployable-reconfigurable antennas, morphing wings and drones, multi-modal robots, energy-vibration-absorption components

    (ii) Electronics

        (a) Soft electronics, like tactile sensors

        (b) MEMS electronics for sensitive acceleration detection by (reconfigurable) zero-stiffness. 

    (iii) Other commercial products from industrial collaboration

        (a) Knee braces, tents, mats, shoes, and so on for the mechanical design and easier actuation/deployment. 

(3) Publish in high-impact journals due to the evaluation standard of the current local system.