[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/insights\/mit-xuanhe-zhao-soft-materials-technology#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/insights\/mit-xuanhe-zhao-soft-materials-technology","headline":"Soft Materials: The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence","name":"Soft Materials: The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence","description":"\ud83d\udcfa Today’s recommended deep-dive video: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo The Soft Frontier: Merging Human Intelligence with Machine TechnologyThe Bioadhesive RevolutionNavigating the Brain with Magnetic RobotsStable Neural InterfacesKey TakeawaysQ&A The Soft Frontier: Merging Human Intelligence with Machine Technology For decades, a fundamental contradiction has... ","datePublished":"2026-08-21","dateModified":"2026-08-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/author\/flextech-admin\/#Person","name":"flextech-admin","url":"https:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/author\/flextech-admin\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=150&d=mm&r=gforcedefault=1","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=150&d=mm&r=gforcedefault=1","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"terabox","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo\u4ea7\u54c1\u540d-\u7ad6\u7248.png","url":"http:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo\u4ea7\u54c1\u540d-\u7ad6\u7248.png","width":900,"height":900}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/y50j7Oavcbo\/maxresdefault.jpg","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/y50j7Oavcbo\/maxresdefault.jpg","height":"","width":""},"url":"https:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/insights\/mit-xuanhe-zhao-soft-materials-technology","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo","name":"Merging Human-Machine Intelligence with Soft Materials Technology - Xuanhe Zhao","description":"iCANX Talks: https:\/\/talks.ican-x.com\/index\n\nMerging Human-Machine Intelligence with Soft Materials Technology\nProfessor Xuanhe Zhao\nProfessor of mechanical engineering and of civil and environmental engineering (by courtesy) at MIT\nGroup Website: http:\/\/zhao.mit.edu\/\n\nABSTRACT:\n\nWhereas human tissues and organs are mostly soft, wet and bioactive; machines are commonly hard, dry and biologically inert. Merging humans, machines and their intelligence is of imminent importance in addressing grand societal challenges in health, sustainability, security, education and joy of living. However, interfacing humans and machines is extremely challenging due to their fundamentally contradictory properties. At MIT Zhao Lab, we exploit soft materials technology to form long-term, high-efficacy, multi-modal interfaces and convergence between humans and machines.  In this talk, I will first discuss the mechanics to design extreme properties including tough, resilient, adhesive, strong, fatigue-resistant and conductive for hydrogels, which are ideal material candidates for human-machine interfaces. Then I will discuss a set of soft materials technology platforms, including i). bioadhesives for instant strong adhesion of diverse wet dynamic tissues and machines; ii). bioelectronics for long-term multi-modal neural interfaces; iii). biorobots for teleoperated and autonomous navigations and operations in previously inaccessible lesions such as in cerebral and coronary arteries. I will conclude the talk with a perspective on future human-machine convergence enabled by soft materials technology.\n\nBIOGRAPHY:\n\nXuanhe Zhao is a professor at MIT. The mission of Zhao Lab is to advance science and technology on the interfaces between humans and machines for addressing grand societal challenges in health and sustainability with integrated expertise in mechanics, materials and biotechnology. A major focus of Zhao Lab's current research is the study and development of soft materials and devices for translational medicine. For example, Zhao Lab\u2019s invention of the hydrogel-elastomer tough hybrid is used in tissue phantoms for training doctors and researchers in medical imaging all over US, and the Kirigami bandage developed by Zhao Lab benefits thousands of patients for joint-pain relief each year\n \nDr. Zhao is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, SES Young Investigator Medal, ASME Hughes Young Investigator Award, Adhesion Society\u2019s Young Scientist Award, Materials Today Rising Star Award, and Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher. He held the Hunt Faculty Scholar at Duke University, and the d'Arbeloff Career Development Chair and Noyce Career Development Professorship at MIT.","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/y50j7Oavcbo\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/y50j7Oavcbo\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/y50j7Oavcbo\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/y50j7Oavcbo\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/y50j7Oavcbo\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2020-05-14T10:00:39+00:00","duration":"PT59M20S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y50j7Oavcbo","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCqIK64TeOxMHAFAWrAGpRkw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCqIK64TeOxMHAFAWrAGpRkw","name":"iCANX Talks","description":"iCANX Talks\nX is the question awaiting our answer\nwithout it, science cannot sprout\nX is the unknown field need our discovery\nwithout it, society cannot advance\nX is the magic among our human being\nwithout it, emotion cannot resonate\nIn iCANX Talks\nWe believe\neach soul on this earth is a small universe\nWe believe\ncommunication builds bridges among our small universes\nWe believe\nnumberless small universes go together will converge a boundless universe\nChanging the present\nCreating the future\nLeading our human society into a new era\niCANX Talks\nConnect the world and universe\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_kdQkwR6U5BhlYFk3QHx7F4UeMa9Ceip5UH221niOfPAA=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":2436}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y50j7Oavcbo#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":21}]},"about":["\u300eEnglish\u300f","Insights"],"wordCount":1522,"keywords":["permanent"]},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Insights","item":"https:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/insights\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Soft Materials: The Future of Human-Machine Intelligence","item":"https:\/\/blog.terabox.com\/insights\/mit-xuanhe-zhao-soft-materials-technology#breadcrumbitem"}]}]