1. Videos from Bilibili: https://space.bilibili.com/581408327?spm_id_from=333.40164.0.0

2. Videos from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yangli_ox_cal_wh

3. ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yang-Li-281

4. Google Scholar: https://www.scholar.google.com/citations?user=stANeZ0AAAAJ&hl=en

5. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yang-li-b3066338

(Updated in Sep. 2025)

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.

1. Y. Li, Z. You*, External inversion of thin-walled corrugated tubes. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2018.05.044

2. Y. Li*, Z. You, Open-section origami beams for energy absorption, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2019.05.006

3. Y. Li*, Z. You, Origami concave tubes for energy absorption, International Journal of Solids and Structures (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2019.03.026

4. J. Cheng, Y. Li*. Foldcore structures with origami initiators for energy-absorbing sandwich panels. Acta Mech. Solida Sin (2023), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10338-023-00396-x

2. Metastructures with arbitrarily prescribable force-displacement curves

Reference papers:

1. Q. Chen#, K. Tan#, X. He, A. Chen, Y. Li*, Metastructures based on graded tube inversion for arbitrarily prescribable force-displacement relationships, Extreme Mechanics Letters (2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2024.102174

2. Hui Li, Wei Li, Huixin Yang, Joseph M. Gattas, Qingyang Chen, Yang Li*. One-DOF Mechanical Metamaterials with Arbitrary Prescribability and Rapid Reprogrammability of Force-Displacement Curves. Research. DOI:10.34133/research.0715

3. Hu, Xinyu, Kexin Tan, Yuhang Yang, Qingyang Chen, and Yang Li*. "A" peak-valley-control" strategy for customizing force-displacement relationships." Engineering Structures 344 (2025): 121389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2025.121389

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqovKzGVzTk

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ARJrzxEVi?spm_id_from=333.1387.homepage.video_card.click

Now I have developed several types of multi-stable morphing structures:

1. Type 1: prestressed (torsional) springs + rigid mechanisms

Reference papers:

1. Y. Li, S. Pellegrino*, A theory for the design of multi-stable morphing structures, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2019.103772

2. Y. Li*, A method of designing a prescribed energy landscape for morphing structures, International Journal of Solids and Structures (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2022.111500

3. Y. Li*, Motion paths finding for multi-degree-of-freedom mechanisms, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2020.105709

2. Type 2: assembly of bi-stable unit cells for multi-stable morphing surfaces

Reference papers:

1. Y. Li*, A. Chandra, C.J. Dorn, R.J. Lang, Reconfigurable surfaces employing linear-rotational and bistable-translational (LRBT) joints, International Journal of Solids and Structures (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2020.09.029

2. P. Zhang#, T. Zhou#, K. Zhang, Y. Luo, Y. Li*, High-stiffness reconfigurable surfaces based on bistable element assembly and bi-compatible truss attachment, Extreme Mechanics Letters (2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2024.102187

3. Type 3: multi-compatible structures designed by optimization employing multi-compatibility constraints -> found various new multi-stable morphing structures!

(1) 2D multi-stable truss

(2) 2D multi-stable linkage (removing one link from the above truss design) -> multiple 1-DOF kinematic paths separated by energy barriers

(3) 3D multi-stable structures

Reference papers:

1. L. Ai, S. Yin, W. He, P. Zhang, Y. Li*, Easy-to-actuate multi-compatible truss structures with prescribed reconfiguration, Nature Communications (2024), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49210-3

2. Z. Lin#, L. Ai#, H. Feng, W. He, Y. Li*, Multistable compliant linkages with multiple kinematic paths separated by energy barriers, Extreme Mechanics Letters (2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2024.102175

3. T. Zhou, C. Huang, Z. Miao, Y. Li*, Intrinsically Multi-Stable Spatial Linkages. Advanced Science (2024), https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202402127

4. Z. Miao#, H. Wang#, T. Zhou, K. Liu, H. Ye, Y. Li*, Multi-stable origami with thick panels, Cell Reports Physical Science (2025), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102402

5. Wang, Heming#, Zhuangzhi Miao#, Jinghui Lv, Yujie Xie, Chong Huang, and Yang Li*. "Bi-stable boxed thick origami-inspired modular and load-carrying structures." Mechanism and Machine Theory 214 (2025): 106114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2025.106114