PhD position in Multi-State Programmable Robotic Matter

The Robotic Materials group is looking for a highly motivated PhD student to work on programmable materials that access multiple distinct mechanical states for next-generation robotic matter systems. This 4-year PhD position is fully funded.

Project background

Modern robots increasingly rely on sophisticated mechanisms, such as modular architectures, reconfigurable linkages, deployable structures, and variable-stiffness components, to adapt their bodies to different tasks and environments. However, such adaptability is often achieved by changing geometry, connectivity, or control strategies, while the underlying material properties remain largely fixed.

This project explores a more fundamental route: robotic matter whose constitutive properties can be programmed on demand. By enabling mechanical modulus, viscoelastic response, and flow behavior to be reconfigured within a ...