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Welcome to our research lab Smart Materials and Interfaces Lab for Engineering (SMILe) at USTC, where we are at the forefront of developing smart materials and surfaces/interfaces through multidisciplinary approaches.

Functional Surfaces

Addressing the critical industrial demands in fields such as self-cleaning surfaces and robotic adhesion, our research achieves effective control over interfacial friction and adhesion behaviors by regulating the geometric morphology and chemical structure of material surfaces, alongside a systematic analysis of the involved tribological mechanisms. The related investigations span multiple aspects, including the photo-/electro-responsive tribological properties of coatings, temporal memory control of surface topography, and the adhesion mechanisms between clay and polymer chains. Devices and products developed based on these findings have been successfully applied in practical scenarios such as self-cleaning photovoltaic modules and controllable grasping for underwater robots.

Soft Robots based on Physical Intelligence

Soft robots exhibit highly adaptable postures and remote controllability, providing advanced robotic systems with enhanced flexibility in movement and manipulation. By leveraging Physical Intelligence, these robots achieve real-time environmental perception, intelligent actuation, and autonomous decision-making, thereby facilitating systematic investigation into the fundamental principles and core technologies of intelligent soft robotics. Our research focuses on smart materials—such as liquid crystal polymers and magnetic polymers—comprehensively exploring their deformation mechanisms, interfacial interactions, and control strategies under external field stimulation (e.g., magnetic or optical fields). These advancements demonstrate broad application potential in areas such as minimally invasive surgery, environmental sensing, and human-machine interaction.

Prof. Wei Feng is a tenure-track professor at the University of Science and Technology of China,a National Young Talent Plan Awardee. He was a Humboldt postodoc fellow in Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. His research focuses on interface engineering science based on smart materials, including electro-related physical chemistry interfaces, tactile perception, friction and lubrication control, and intelligent  robotics. 

During Prof. Wei Feng's PhD, he studied under liquid crystal materials expert Academician Dirk Broer, and during his postdoc, he conducted research with Academician Metin Sitti at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and Professor Li Zhang at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has received awards such as the Best Poster Award at the 2019 International Conference on Liquid Crystal Photonics and the Best Paper Award at the 2021 International Workshop on Bionic Engineering. He has published papers in journals such as Advanced Materials, PNAS Nexus, and Nature Communications, and his research on self-cleaning surfaces has attracted collaboration invitations from institutions like NASA.

Prof. Wei Feng serves as a young editorial board member for multiple journals, including Nano-Micro Letters, Journal of Bionic Engineering, and Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics. He is a board member of the Youth Association at USTC and has reviewed for journals such as National Science Review, Small, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, and Soft Matter multiple times.

Academic Service
Young Editorial Board Member, Journal of Bionic Engineering
Young Editorial Board Member, Nano-Micro Letters
Young Editorial Board Member, Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics
Reviewer for Provincial Talent Projects
Reviewer for National Leading Talent Projects

Honors 
National Young Talent
Humboldt Postdoc Fellow
Postdoctoral Fellow, Hong Kong Research Grants Council
Best Poster Award, International Conference on Liquid Crystal Photonics
Best Paper Award, International Workshop on Bionic Engineering