Our research is largely grouped into three areas: mechanics of architected materials, design of reprogrammable matter, and demonstration of morphing shapes. Here are some broad projects that are available.
Research programs
If you are interested in the lab’s work, please contact me at tianchen@uh.edu and we can set a specific project. We have funding through the NSF REU program and UH’s SURF and PURS programs.
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) supports intensive research by undergraduate students in any area of research funded by NSF. The student must be a US national or a permanent resident. It usually involves full-time research over 10 weeks in the summer. The student will receive a stipend starting at $4,000.
UH Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) provides funding for UH undergraduates to participate in a focused, full-time, 10-week research experience under the direction of UH faculty. Recipients will receive a $4,000 scholarship.
UH Provost’s Undergraduate Research Scholarship (PURS) provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in a research project with a UH faculty. Recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to conduct research during the Fall or Spring semesters.
Broad topics
Reprogrammable matter: Most materials do not exhibit intentional change of properties. In this project, we aim to develop a fundamental understanding for on-demand physical property change using non-linear mechanics and magnetism.
Multi-functional material architectures: Investigate into different techniques for fabricating 3D structures on a nano- to micrometer scale. We aim to create architected materials that can be used in engineering applications. Instead of assemblies of molecules, we aim to manufacture assemblies of architected unit cells to create functional materials.
Mechanics of morphing shapes: Shape transformation is of immense engineering importance in deployable structures, medical devices, and electronics. We aim to understand the computational and physical methods available for us to design objects that can change shape.