Symposium 4 Invited Speaker
Prof. Dr. Hans Peter Monner
German Aerospace Center (DLR) &
Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg
Presentation Title: Demonstration and Testing of Rotating Morphing Systems at DLR
Abstract: In this presentation, we explore some advancements in rotation morphing systems, focusing on their application in in various engineering domains. We will demonstrate the active twisting mechanisms of helicopter rotor blades, highlighting how these systems enhance performance and reduce noise through adaptive aerodynamics. Additionally, we will examine the morphing trailing edge of wind turbine rotor blades, showcasing its potential to optimize energy capture and enhance fatigue life. Finally, we will delve into the design and testing of morphing fan blades in jet engines, emphasizing their role in improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Through a series of experimental results and simulations, this presentation aims to illustrate the potential and challenges of rotation morphing systems on the advancement in aviation and renewable energy.
Biography: Prof. Dr. Hans Peter Monner is the head of the Department Adaptronics at the Institute of Lightweight Systems of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Additionally, he has a professorship at the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg and gives lectures within the field of smart structures technologies, vibroacoustics and experimental mechanics. On European level his department is strongly involved in many European projects, e.g. MANTA - Movables for Next generaTion Aircraft, SABRE – "Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency", GRETEL – "GREen Turboprop Experimental Laminar Flow Wind Tunnel Testing" or SADE "Smart High Lift Devices for Next Generation Wings". Moreover, he is involved in different international networking activities, e.g. as part of the SciTech ASTC – "Adaptive Structures Technical Committee" or the ICAST – IOC “International Organizing Committee".
Symposium 6 Invited Speaker
Dr. Marianne Alleyne
Assistant Professor
Department of Entomology & Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Presentation Title: Keeping Biologists in the Room: Addressing the Disciplinary Imbalance in Bioinspired Design
Abstract: Nature offers a vast repertoire of solutions refined through evolution, providing inspiration for novel technologies to address complex technological challenges. This bioinspired design (BID) method integrates biological insights and engineering principles. It is less common to take an opposite approach that we termed engineering-informed biology (EIB). For EIB we use engineering tools—many developed through BID—to better understand natural phenomena that motivates biological research.
The work in the Alleyne Bioinspiration Collaborative (ABCLab) focuses on the diverse movement systems and surface functionalities of insects, including dragonflies, grasshoppers, flies, cicadas, leafhoppers, and beetles. Insects have evolved in a wide range of ecological contexts, offering an array of adaptive strategies to environmental challenges. These strategies, particularly in surface properties and biomechanics, provide rich opportunities for BID. Our investigations explore phenomena such as super-hydrophobicity, antimicrobial activity, ultra-reflectivity, and latch-mediated spring actuation. These natural functionalities not only inspire engineering applications but also help us understand the evolutionary pressures that shape them, exemplifying the two-way exchange between BID and EIB.
To illustrate our approach, two case studies will be presented. The first explores the anti-microbial and hydrophobic properties of insect surfaces and their potential for technological application, such as in medical or industrial materials. These findings and fabricated surfaces can then be used to answer, for instance, mechanistic and evolutionary questions for why different insects might use different approaches for achieving multifunctionality. The second case study examines the click beetle’s jumping mechanism, driven by a latch-mediated spring actuation system, and its implications for designing compact, power-amplified mechanical systems. These mechanical system prototypes can be used to help explain the evolution for such mechanisms, which may not have been for the purpose of jumping. These examples highlight how a BID framework, informed by both biological complexity and engineering needs, can foster more effective interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.
To effectively harness biological inspiration, especially across a broad array of systems, a structured BID framework is essential. This framework should facilitate the construction of meaningful analogies between biological functions and engineering challenges, ensuring that the most suitable biological strategies are identified and applied. BID studies remain isolated within disciplinary silos, limiting their potential impact. Interdisciplinary teams—especially those truly integrating biology and engineering—are rare but have shown greater potential for innovation. For such teams to succeed, collaboration must begin early and be sustained throughout the research process and must integrate biologists in a meaningful way. This often requires an upfront investment of time but pays dividends by aligning biological insight with engineering objectives and diverse team motivations.
Biography: Dr. Marianne Alleyne is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She earned her B.A. in Biology from the University of California, Berkeley (advisor: Dr. Bob Full), her M.S. in Entomology from the University of California, Riverside (advisor: Dr. Nancy Beckage), and her Ph.D. in Entomology from UIUC (advisor: Dr. Rob Wiedenmann). Her laboratory, the Alleyne Bioinspiration Collaborative (ABCLab) is particularly interested in bioinspired design (BID)—applying biological principles to solve engineering challenges, but also on engineering-informed biology (EIB), which uses engineering tools to gain insights into biological systems. Her current research focuses the development of bioinspired materials and robotics that have multi-functionality, and to use prototypes and engineering tools to help explain why certain materials and movement systems have evolved in nature.
The ABCLab fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across entomology, engineering, and design, with a strong emphasis on training undergraduate and graduate researchers. In order for both biologists and engineers to mutually benefit from BID and EID they need to know how to build, manage, and sustain collaborations that integrate diverse perspectives, methods, and goals. Only then can interdisciplinary research be innovative and lead to novel designs, while also advancing the field of biology.
Dr. Alleyne has been an active member of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) for over 25 years, serving in various leadership roles, including as ESA President in 2023. Her broader professional interests include science communication, science policy, and advancing diversity and inclusion in science.
Special Symposium Invited Speaker
Dr. Mattia Gazzola
Charles Conrad Kritzer Associate Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Presentation Title: Modeling, Realization and Control of Living Creatures, Machines, and Materials
Abstract: Fiber-based organization of matter is pervasive in nature and engineering, in active and passive settings, and across scales, from muscles, tendons and bones that make up full organisms to polymers, composite materials, and soft robots. Here a modeling approach based on assemblies of Cosserat rods is presented to tackle fibrous systems that are distributed, heterogeneous, and hierarchically organized. Scalability, robustness, and utility of our simulation methods are then demonstrated for the design, realization and control of soft living creatures, bio-hybrid machines, and metamaterials.
Biography: Mattia Gazzola is the Charles Conrad Kritzer Associate Professor in the Mechanical Science and Engineering Department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He joined UIUC in Fall 2016 after a postdoc at Harvard and a PhD at ETH Zurich. His work lies at the interface between mechanics, biology, robotics, and computing. His studies were awarded with the ETH Medal, Early and Advanced Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowships, NSF CAREER, and featured on the cover of several scientific journals including Science, Nature, PNAS, PRL. He is the Lead PI and co-director of the center-scale NSF Expedition "Mind in Vitro–Computing with Living Neurons".
Special Symposium Invited Speaker
Marc Serra-Garcia
Tenure Track Group Leader
AMOLF, 1086VA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Presentation Title: Physical Computing with Metamaterials
Abstract: There is a significant range of physical phenomena—from nonlinear elasticity, to symmetry, noise, topology, and disorder — that are rarely utilized in traditional computing paradigms. Yet these phenomena can unlock new efficiencies, by directly processing signals in their natural domain, and by bypassing the traditional abstraction stack associated with digital CMOS technology. However, building physical computers is challenging. Information processing tasks generally involve complex input-output relations, thus requiring designs that are highly expressive; and for these designs, the relation between function and structure is nontrivial, complicating the simulation, design, and fabrication of devices. In my talk, I will illustrate our journey towards using metamaterials for physical computing, with two recent examples. First, I will talk about our results in passive speech recognition, where we leverage a phononic metamaterial to implement wake-up-word detection with zero standby power consumption. Second, I will discuss our ongoing work in self-learning materials, that autonomously adapt to improve their performance—driven by their ability to form long-term memories in response to examples and external feedback.
Biography: Marc Serra-Garcia (Manresa, 1987) is a tenure-track group leader at the AMOLF research institute in Amsterdam. After a BSc in Physics at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, he did a MSc degree at Caltech, and a PhD at ETH Zurich. His research is currently focused on novel (beyond-CMOS) approaches to information processing, with the goal of using a richer and more diverse set of physical phenomena to implement relevant information-processing tasks with low power. The research has been recognized by an ERC Starting grant, and various other grants from the Dutch Research Council and Swiss National Science Foundation.