Please join us for our Expert Lecture Series, organized by the Design Innovation from Nature initiative at UC Berkeley.

Thursday, October 5, 2:00pm, at 220 Jacobs Hall

Professor Lining Yao 

Director of Morphing Matter Lab (http://morphingmatter.cs.cmu.edu/)

Human Computer Interaction Institute, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University

Abstract: 

Technology, one might claim, is designed to recapitulate biology: as we strive to design physical objects and architecture that are adaptive, responsive and ever evolving, we find ourselves immersed in Nature’s way. Yet, after years of practice in transforming materiality for adaptive physical interfaces, we realize that it is the combination of the two worldviews — both natural and engineering approaches — that generates a method including their best facets: adaptation with speed, transformation with accuracy, growth with control and response with augmented purposes.

The talk covers the engineering principles and 4D additive fabrication processes of SCMC (Shape Changing Matrix Composites). Beginning with reflections on natural materials on their adaptive and transformable behaviors across scales, the talk introduces various material systems that can transform in shape and other properties in a programmable manner. Applications are chosen to cover different aspects of a potential army life and/or mission: from second skin to haute cuisine, how responsive materials and interfaces can be engineered and designed, which couple sensing and actuation for better living, eating, traveling and fighting?

Short Bio: 

Lining Yao is an Assitant Professor of Human Computer Interaction Institute at CMU, School of Computer Science. Her research lab, Morphing Matter Lab (http://morphingmatter.cs.cmu.edu/) lies at the intersections of material science, interaction design, computational fabrication and biological engineering, to develop materials, tools and applications of morphing and dynamic matter.

Lining gained her PhD at MIT Media Lab, where she combined natural and engineering approaches to develop physical materials with dynamic and tunable properties including shape, color, stiffness, texture and density. The design opportunities are embedded in the wide myriad of life: things we wear, live with and within, play with, eat or drink.

Lining’s work appear in both scientific journals (e.g. Science Advancances, Journal of 3D Additive Manufacturing) and top conferences in the field of human computer interaction. She has been awarded Best Paper award (UIST 2013), Nominated Best Demo award (UIST 2013), Best Talk award (CHI 2015) and paper Honorable Mention award (CHI 2015). She has won numerous design awards including Fast Compnary Design by Innovation Award, A Design Award, Core77 Community Choice Prize Winner, Red Dot Award, iF Design Award and IxDA Awards. Lining was recently named Wired innovation fellow. She has exhibited her work at Center Pompidou in Paris, Ars Electronica, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Dubai Design Week. She curated and implemented bioLogic exhibition for MIT Media Lab 30’s anniversary in October, 2015. In addition, she has been collaborating with industrial partners including Target, Food + Future, New Balance, Toyota, Cisco, Estee Lauder and Colgate to explore the future of wearable, mobility, communication, food and cosmetics.