Intelligent Soft MAterials & Robotics Lab

SOFT INTELLIGENCE FOR HARD PROBLEMS

​We explore innovative designs and functions of soft materials and robot systems ​to solve challenges in energy, environment, and biomedicine.

The Intelligent Soft Materials & Robotics Lab (ISMAR), directed by Dr. Junghwan Byun, is an interdisciplinary research team devoted to developing  soft, intelligent robot systems with yet-to-be conceived functionalities. We aim to create and apply  unconventional, intelligent morphing matter platforms at the intersection of Soft Architected Materials, Soft Electronics, Soft Robotics, and Biomedical Engineering. Our goal spans a broad range of future robot applications from microscale biomedical robots to human-scale skin computer and  meter-scale marine energy harvesting.

---

Position Available

The Byun Lab is dedicated to providing the ideal environment for passionate scientists and engineers to engage in multidisciplinary teaming and innovative thinking. We are currently seeking exceptional candidates who are highly self-motivated, collaborative and open-minded to multidisciplinary research projects, rather than previous experience or achievements. If you are interested in joining the Byun Lab (ISMAR), please email CV and research interests to [email protected]

Postdocs - Currently 1 opening (expertise in soft robot, soft actuator, and/or metamaterials)
Candidates should hold a doctoral degree in Materials Science & Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or other relevant fields.

Graduate students (MS, PhD or MS-PhD integrated course) - 1 available
Prospective MS/PhD students who want to foster creativity, collaboration, and world-leading research experience in the following research topics are encouraged to apply to our group:

• architected design, strain engineering, and shape morphing of soft materials
• mechanical metamaterials,  mechanical transition waves, and mechanical computing
• system-level soft electronics, printed electronics, and large-area robotic skin
• soft robot, underwater swimming carpet, and robotic energy harvesting
• biomedical microrobots for cancer therapeutics, drug delivery, nerve/immune systems, and inflammation

---

Recent News and Updates

• Sep 2024. Dr. Byeonghak Park receives NRF Postdoc Fellowship, congrats!
• Jun 2024. Our contributing paper on zero-Poisson's ratio soft mechanical metamaterials is accepted to Advanced Functional Materials.
• Jun 2024. Byun lab welcomes a new visiting scholar M.D. Sejin Choi (SNU hospital). Welcome!
• Apr 2024. Dr. Junghyeon Ko receives Sejong Science Fellowship, congrats!
• Mar 2024. Byun lab welcomes new postdocs, Dr. Byeonghak Park & Dr. Junghyeon Ko. Welcome!
• Feb 2024. Our paper on mechanical computing is accepted to Nature Communications. Congrats!
• Jan 2024. Byun Lab welcomes new graduate students, Wonkyeong & Hoyoung. Welcome!
• Dec 2023. Our contributing paper on hydrogel metasurfaces is accepted to Nature Communications.
• Sep 2023. Our contributing paper on magnetic putty is accepted to Advanced Materials. 
• Aug 2023. The Intelligent Soft Materials and Robotics Lab (ISMAR) is opened.
• Aug 2023. Dr. Byun joined the Soft Hybrid Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Korea, as a Senior Research Scientist.
• Mar 2023. Our paper on reconfigurable innervation of modular soft machines is accepted to Advanced Intelligent Systems.
• Feb 2023. Dr. Byun got awarded a Sejong Science Fellowship from the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea.
• Dec 2022. Our paper on deployable soft origami modular robotic arm is accepted to IEEE-RAL.
• Apr 2022. Dr. Byun gave a workshop seminar talk entitled "The simplest ever 4D printing: A route towards inverse design of complex and programmable shape morphing" at IEEE Robosoft 2022.
• Jun 2021. Our paper is issued in Advanced Materials Technologies as a front cover article.
• Mar 2021. Our paper on underwater swimming robotic sheets  is accepted to Science Robotics. See the Video Clip.
• Mar 2021. Our paper on 4D printing is accepted to Advanced Materials Technologies.
• Nov 2020. Dr. Byun got awarded a Humboldt Research Fellowship.
• May 2020. Dr. Byun got awarded a Postdoc Fellowship for Basic Science Research Program from the NRF Korea.

---