Intelligent Soft Matter

The workshop is financially supported by

SoftComp Network of Excellence

Description

The field of soft matter has undergone significant evolution in the past decade, transitioning from a focus on nanoparticle-based soft matter and 2D materials to bioinspired, functional, and responsive materials. The next ambitious step involves the development of intelligent or cognizant soft matter as a new frontier, where materials may possess properties that enable them to comprehend the environment and generate a response. This includes advancements in swarm intelligence, soft robotics, and 4D materials that can change shape over time in response to external stimuli. This innovative concept aims to bridge the gap between self-learning, adaptive soft materials and sensors, artificial intelligence and decision-making in distributed systems. Furthermore, it can contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between the microstructure of materials and their ability for autonomous and decentralized decision making and response. Finally, intelligent artificial soft systems might be instructive for a better understanding of biological systems, moving toward the knowledge-based design of synthetic cells with life-like functions.

Aim

The aim of the workshop is to find collectively the ways to design new type of matter: Intelligent Soft Matter by combining the expertise and cooperation of the experts from three fields: active matter, decision-making and nanosensors.

The focus will be given to networking activities and discussions with a lot of free time.

Connecting three fields and defining Intelligent Soft Matter

Fuzzy Fibers are engineered with nanostructures that enhance their sensitivity to external stimuli. These fibers can detect subtle changes in temperature, humidity, or chemical composition by altering their physical properties such as reflectivity or conductivity.

Electronic Noses employ arrays of nanosensors to detect and identify complex odors or gases. Each nanosensor within the array responds differently to specific odor molecules, generating a unique pattern that is analyzed to identify the scent.

Electronic Skin comprises nanosensors distributed over a flexible substrate to mimic the human skin’s ability to sense touch, pressure, and temperature. E-skin can detect and differentiate between different tactile sensations, providing invaluable feedback for  human-machine interfaces or communication between agents.

Artificial Hair structures replicate the tactile sensitivity of biological hair cells. These hair-like sensors can detect minute changes in airflow, pressure, or vibration, enabling applications in robotics for tactile feedback.

Compliant Oscillators utilize nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) to convert mechanical vibrations into electrical signals. These devices are highly sensitive to tiny mechanical disturbances, making them suitable for applications such as seismology, structural health monitoring, and inertial sensing in navigation systems.

Biochemical Sensing: Nanosensors capable of detecting specific biomolecules, such as proteins, DNA/RNA, or metabolites, which are vital for applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring (e.g., detecting pollutants or pathogens), and biotechnology.

Energy Harvesting: Nanosensors that not only detect environmental stimuli but also harvest energy from these stimuli (such as light, vibrations, or heat) to power themselves or other components of the soft matter system, thereby enhancing sustainability and autonomy.

Quantum Sensors: Utilizing quantum phenomena at the nanoscale to achieve extremely high sensitivity and precision in detecting physical parameters like magnetic fields, electric fields, or single photons.

Active Matter encompasses collective behaviors exhibited by assemblies of self-driven entities which interact to generate emergent properties like swarming, flocking, or pattern formation.

Soft Robots: Soft robots are flexible and compliant machines capable of performing tasks in unstructured environments. They often incorporate materials that change shape or stiffness in response to external stimuli, enabling versatile locomotion and manipulation abilities.

Self-propelled Particles: These are microscopic or nanoscopic entities capable of self-propulsion through various mechanisms such as catalytic reactions, electric fields, or biological motility. Self-propelled particles are studied for applications in drug delivery, environmental sensing, and swarm robotics.

4D Materials refer to structures that can change shape or properties over time in response to external stimuli such as temperature, light, or moisture. These materials add a temporal dimension to their spatial geometry, enabling adaptive and shape-shifting capabilities for applications in morphing structures and biomedical devices.

Autonomous Actuators are devices or materials that can convert energy into mechanical motion without external control or input. Autonomous actuators utilize various mechanisms including shape memory alloys, pneumatic networks, or biological actuators inspired by muscle tissue, enabling self-regulated movement in soft robotics and biomedical applications.

Origami-based Robots: Inspired by the art of origami, these robots are designed using folding techniques to achieve complex three-dimensional structures that can change shape or function. Origami-based robots offer compactness and versatility in design, suitable for applications in space exploration, minimally invasive surgery, and adaptive architecture.

Shape-shifting Materials: These materials undergo reversible changes in their shape, size, or structure in response to external stimuli. Shape-shifting materials include shape memory polymers, liquid crystal elastomers, and hydrogels that expand or contract based on environmental conditions, offering applications in soft robotics, smart textiles, and biomedical devices.

Active Inference: Active Inference involves systems that use internal models to predict and respond to their environment dynamically. These systems minimize prediction errors by adjusting their behavior based on sensory inputs, enabling materials to adapt and optimize their performance in real-time.

Generative AI: Generative Artificial Intelligence techniques, such as generative models and adversarial networks, are used to create and simulate data, predict outcomes, and generate novel solutions in material design and optimization.

Neural Networks Made of Materials: Neural networks constructed using materials with programmable properties, such as memristors or neuromorphic chips, mimic biological neural networks’ functionalities. These materials enable efficient processing of complex data patterns and are explored for applications in cognitive computing and adaptive materials.

Swarm Intelligence: Inspired by the collective behavior of social organisms like ants or bees, Swarm Intelligence involves decentralized systems where autonomous agents interact locally to achieve global goals. In materials science, swarm intelligence principles guide the design of distributed sensor networks, self-assembling structures, and optimization algorithms for material synthesis and processing.

Sessions

Invited speakers

Soft intelligence systems: wireless miniature medical soft robots, gecko-inspired microfiber adhesives, bio-inspired miniature robots, and physical intelligence.

https://is.mpg.de/~sitti

Broad topics of active matter: Microfluidcs, Amphiphiles, Colloids, Membranes, Polymers, Blood Flow, Microswimmers

https://www.fz-juelich.de/profile/gompper_g

Fundamental properties of colloidal particles and fluid interfaces to develop a broad range of new soft and active materials.

https://isa.mat.ethz.ch/people/prof-dr-lucio-isa.html

Synthesis of hybrid functional materials and photochemistry. Fabrication of nanoparticles with tuned properties for sensing and optical applications.

https://quimica.uvigo.es/en/docencia/profesorado/miguel-angel-correa-duarte/

Various functional aspects of artificial life, synthetic life, and natural life.  Expertise in interfacial dynamics, modeling of complex chemistry, optimization strategies, robot-chemistry interfaces, fundamentals of intelligent materials, synthetic biology, and new bio-inspired materials for architecture and engineering.

http://www.martinhanczyc.com/

Surface science and spectroscopy with emphasis on the fabrication and characterization of plasmonic particles and their integration into advanced “all optical” sensing devices for biomedicine, chemical biology and environmental monitoring.

https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/ramon-alvarez-puebla-560

Focus on a multi-scale understanding of the dynamics of living systems from a physical perspective. The aim is to understand the complex dynamics of living matter well enough to be able to make it from the bottom-up; i.e. from molecules to systems. The research topics cover, broadly speaking, chemical and mechanical nonequilibrium activity in Living Matter across the scales.

https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/our-people/golestanian

Optical and electronic phenomena in nanostructures such as quantum dots, quantum rings, colloidal nanocrystals, and nanowires. Among other topics, his research involves many-particle and light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.

https://www.ohio.edu/cas/govorov

Functional nucleic acids performing tailor-made functions as biosensors and responsive materials

https://biochemie.uni-greifswald.de/mueller

Basic mechanisms that drive micromotion as well as targeted material design for future microswimmer applications.

https://simmchenresearch.wordpress.com/

Why attend?

Designed as a hands-on workshop with the focus on networking and meeting experts. Interdisciplinarity of speakers stimulates lateral thinking and brings unusual topics. Full participation throughout the event is essential to maximize the benefits of these interactions.

Preparation of dynamic brainstorming sessions to generate innovative ideas and explore new research directions.

Discuss strategies and funding opportunities for the new field of Intelligent Soft Matter. Preparation of grant writing session.

Enjoy a conducive environment for scientific discussions, promoting open and productive exchanges.

Special attention to high quality food enhancing informal networking opportunities.

Perspective Article

Publication in Soft Matter journal:

The outcomes of the workshop are invited as a perspective article in the Soft Matter 20th anniversary themed collection

Organizers

Departament d’Enginyeria Química
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Tarragona, Spain
Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-5)
Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-2)
Research Center
Juelich, Germany
Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi
Universita’ Ca’ Foscari
Venezia, Italy

Contact

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