H3) Programmable Soft Materials and Flexible Structures for Sustainability Solutions

Soft materials and flexible structures offer programmable mechanical and functional behaviors, opening new opportunities for sustainable solutions. Programmable encoding of extreme properties and multifunctionality into such systems can be achieved through a broad spectrum of physical, chemical, thermal, and other couplings. This symposium explores multiscale design and fabrication strategies that enable adaptive, responsive, and environmentally conscious soft systems for real-world applications. By uniting expertise in manufacturing, mechanics, and materials science, the symposium seeks to catalyze cross-disciplinary solutions that advance programmable soft materials and flexible structures toward a sustainable future.

• Multi-physics coupling in soft materials and flexible structures for extreme properties.
• Programmable encoding of functionalities within soft materials and flexible structures.
• Responsiveness enabled by advanced processes, including 4D printing, hierarchical structuring, biomimetic design, compositing, and beyond.
• Soft material systems for sustainability, encompassing energy harvesting, water management, and environmental sensing.
• Soft materials and flexible structures for robotics and human–machine interfaces.