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Metamorphosis is an innate natural attribute in the evolution and survival of species. The development of shape-shifting robots is a core area within the field of intelligent structures. By integrating computational intelligence, there is hope for achieving true embodied intelligence in today’s rapidly advancing world of artificial intelligence.

Prof. DAI Jiansheng, Chair Professor at King’s College London, United Kingdom, Dean of Institute of Robotics, South University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China and Chair Professor at SUSTech–KCL Joint School, shared the latest developments in robotics at the PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Embedded Intelligence in Robotics” on 15 September 2025. The lecture attracted over 140 in-person participants and an online audience of more than 14,900 via various social media platforms.

At the beginning of his presentation, Prof. Dai introduced how his team has eliminated the need for adding components or dismantling structures, instead directly incorporating metamorphosis into robot design. This has led to a disruptive transformation in robotic structures, fundamentally altering traditional design approaches. Drawing inspiration from biological metamorphosis in nature and the art of origami, and combining geometry, mechanics, mathematics and kinematics, he explained how the design of shape-shifting robots is evolving towards multi-modal, multi-structural, multi-topological, and multi-degree-of-freedom structures. This is to keep pace with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and to enhance robots’ adaptability to their operating environments and challenging tasks.

Prof. Dai pointed out that metamorphosis has expanded the possibilities for robotic structural design, leading to innovative metamorphic outcomes such as novel legged robots, dexterous hands, solar arrays, metamaterials and flexible electronics. He further noted that today’s robots combine both rigid and flexible characteristics, offering compliance and safety, and are distinguished by elastic mechanism dynamics, novel variable-stiffness mechanisms and highly integrated perception-driven systems. In the future, robots will focus on morphological innovation and intrinsic safety, incorporating new materials, soft or continuum structures, metamorphic and biomimetic features. This signals that, over the next decade, robotics will move into a new technological era characterised by bio-integration, living entities, high-performance living systems and hybrid life systems. In summary, the key to the future development of robotics lies in continuous transformation and innovation.

Following the presentation was a lively question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. ZHANG Dan, Chair Professor of Intelligent Robotics and Automation in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The audience engaged in a productive discussion with Prof. Dai.

Event date: 15/9/2025
Speaker: Prof. DAI Jiansheng
Hosted by: PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary

Prof. Gao began his presentation with a brief outline of important role that mechanics plays in the development of structural and functional materials, enlightening the audience on the recent advances in nanostructured materials, biomedical materials, mechanical metamaterials, soft actuators, flexible electronics, tunable mechanochromics, regenerative mechanomedicine and many more.
He further illustrated how fundamental principles of mechanics enable the proactive modulation and programming of properties in both engineering and biological systems. Through case studies, Prof. Gao highlighted the breakthroughs in mechano-energy, mechano-interfaces, and mechano-materials, demonstrating their transformative potential.

Event date: 13/06/2025
Speaker: Prof. GAO Huajian
Hosted by: PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research

Lu began his presentation with a brief outline of the role of functional nanomaterials in addressing global challenges and advancing green hydrogen technologies. He highlighted the critical importance of electrodes, membranes, catalysts and photocatalysts in enhancing the efficiency and scalability of electrolysis and photocatalysis systems, as well as the significance of solid-state storage materials in overcoming challenges related to hydrogen storage and distribution, noting that some low-pressure solutions are already in use.
Still, Prof. Lu emphasised that further technological innovations are needed to reduce costs and enhance performance. He explained that green hydrogen is a valuable energy carrier; it can not only contribute to decarbonisation in the power sector, but also act as zero-emission fuel for sea, land and air freight, which is crucial for the achievement of a net-zero future by 2050. In conclusion, Prof. Lu called on the academic community to accelerate the commercialisation of new materials for the construction of cost-effective hydrogen infrastructure, and urged researchers to bridge the gap between technology R&D and practical applications.

Event date: 20/05/2025
Speaker: Prof. G.Q. Max LU
Hosted by: PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research

The lecture will explore the role of technology in promoting environmental sustainability. It focuses on the development and implementation of innovative technologies that can help address environmental challenges and contribute to a more sustainable future.We are developing green technologies to benefit sustainable environment, which will enable people and the environment to prosper together. The Center for Filtration Research (CFR) at the University of Minnesota, collaborating with 20 leading international filtration manufacturers and end users, was established to develop green technologies to mitigate PM2.5, VOCs, ozone and other environmental pollutants. CFR investigators perform fundamental and applied research on air, gas and liquid filtration. The current research projects include indoor air cleaning and Covid prevention, bioaerosols sensor development and evaluation, nanofiber production and modeling, nanotechnology and instrumentation developments, among others. Large-scale air cleaning towers are established in Xi’an and Yancheng in China, and two additional towers in Delhi, India. They are developed to mitigate PM2.5 pollutants in urban air. The second-generation tower in Yancheng is developed to reduce not only the PM2.5 but also CO2 in the atmosphere. The construction of a set of large-scale air cleaning towers to capture 16 million tons of CO2 annually is proposed. All these research and development activities are helping to improve sustainable environment.

The lecture commenced with a welcome speech and speaker introduction by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of PAIR, followed by a presentation by Prof. Cui. He first shared his scientific journey by reminiscing about the old days when he moved abroad to develop an academic career after graduating in China and gradually became a highly successful scientist. Next, he explained the importance of interdisciplinary research and shared how the combination of medical science and engineering enables the development of health technologies such as imaging, keyhole surgery, in vitro diagnostics, in vitro fertilisation, etc. Prof. Cui emphasised that scientists are to “discover” and find out “how a thing happens” whereas engineers are to “create” and “make things happen”. He then gave some advice on how to do well in interdisciplinary research and shared some innovations in microbioreactor and point-of-care testing developed by him and his team which has achieved great success in research commercialisation and made significant contributions to drug discovery and public health. To conclude, Prof. Cui shared that scientific success is based on many factors, including team, facilities, timing, luck, etc., and encouraged the next generation of engineers and scientists to consider a career in biomedical engineering, an exciting and rewarding domain.

Following the lecture, a lively and insightful question-and-answer session was moderated by Ir Prof. ZHANG Ming, Director of the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports), Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chair Professor of Biomechanics. The audience had fruitful discussions with Prof. Cui.