Mengqi Fang

State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering

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About

Mengqi Fang is a pioneering researcher in the field of soft robotics, with a primary focus on bio-inspired autonomous locomotion and smart materials, particularly liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). Their most cited work, "Multimodal Autonomous Locomotion of Liquid Crystal Elastomer Soft Robot" (2024), has garnered 90 citations and represents a breakthrough in harnessing self-oscillation—a phenomenon observed in nature—to create soft robots capable of sustained, designable movement with minimal external control. This contribution addresses a fundamental challenge in robotics: achieving autonomous, multimodal locomotion without complex electronics or continuous human intervention. Fang’s research elegantly bridges materials science and mechanical engineering, demonstrating how LCEs can be programmed to undergo self-sustained oscillations that translate into diverse locomotive modes, such as crawling, rolling, or undulating. By converting natural self-oscillation into engineered, predictable motion, Fang has opened new pathways for developing resilient, energy-efficient soft robots for applications in exploration, medical devices, and environmental monitoring. Their work stands out for its innovative integration of material properties and dynamic systems, offering a compelling vision for the next generation of autonomous soft machines.