The Symposium on Multidisciplinary Fusion Design and Application of Metamaterials and Robotics was held on November 28, 2025, at Tianjin University. Initiated by Professor Yan Chen from Tianjin University, the conference gathered experts, scholars, and students from renowned universities including Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Wuhan University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Fuzhou University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Fudan University, and Tianjin University.

        Attendees engaged in in-depth discussions centred on the core theme of ‘Design and Applications of Metamaterials and Robotics’. Professor Yan Chen from Tianjin University presented research advancements from the Motion Structure Laboratory in the fields of mechanism-based metamaterials and mechanical intelligence robots. Eight distinguished speakers delivered compelling presentations within their respective research domains. Professor Zhigang Wu from Huazhong University of Science and Technology presented ‘AI-Assisted Design and Application Exploration of Mechanical Metamaterials,’ demonstrating the formidable capabilities of deep learning algorithms in inverse design. Professor Jianing Wu from Sun Yat-sen University shared insights on ‘Tensegrity Structures for Constructing Biomimetic Metamaterials,’ highlighting the exceptional performance of tensegrity structures in efficient energy absorption and reusability. Professor Yang Li from Wuhan University introduced ‘Design and Application of Multi-stable Reconfigurable Structures’, proposing novel design methodologies based on energy landscapes and their implementation in phased array antennas and related fields. Associate Researcher Nan Li from Harbin Institute of Technology presented ‘Inverse Design of Kirigami Metamaterial Structures and their Application in Flexible Tactile Sensors’, demonstrating the immense potential of kirigami structures in sensor design. Professor Bing Wang from Fuzhou University reported on ‘Strength Design and Intelligent Actuation of Aerospace Bistable Deployable Structures’, examining strength design and intelligent actuation for aerospace bistable structures; Professor Jiang Zou from Shanghai Jiao Tong University presented ‘Research Progress on Dielectric Elastomer Actuated Soft Robots’, analysing structural design and high-precision control methods based on machine learning; Professor Tengfei Zheng from Xi'an Jiaotong University shared ‘Research on Soft Actuators based on Flexible MOFs’, demonstrating novel porous materials' applications in intelligent actuation. Finally, Research Fellow Zhuang Zhang from Fudan University delivered a presentation titled ‘Multimodal High-Performance Flexible Robots and High-Fidelity Tactile Interaction’, exploring cutting-edge applications of origami structures in multimodal soft actuation and high-fidelity haptic interaction.

        Through in-depth discussions on fusion design across materials science, metamaterials, mechanical engineering, robotics, mechanics, and other fields, this symposium clarified the development trends and main bottlenecks of related research, providing new ideas for metamaterial-based robots and mechanical intelligence. The symposium successfully concluded in a vibrant academic atmosphere.