Merging Human-Machine Intelligence with Soft Materials Technology
软材料科技融合人机智能
Xuanhe Zhao（赵选贺）
ABSRACT
Whereas 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.
人体组织与器官大多是柔软、湿润并且具有生物活性，而机器通常是坚硬、干燥、不具有生物活性。融合人体、机器以及人机智能，对解决健康、可持续发展、安全、教育等重大社会问题至关重要 -- 在这次COVID19流行疾病中， 这些问题尤为突出。 但是由于人体和机器截然相反的性能，人机融合是本世纪科技发展的挑战之一。近年来，我们提出软材料科技 （Soft Materials Technology）-- 使用柔软、坚韧、湿润、有生物活性的软材料和器件，实现长时效、高效率、多模态的人机交互和融合。本次报告将介绍三个软材料科技平台，包括1.用于替换手术缝线的瞬时强力生物胶水； 2. 用于长时效多模态神经接口的生物电子；3.在狭窄复杂血管中（例如脑部与冠状动脉）自主巡航的软体机器人。在报告最后我会展望人机融合科技的未来社会。
BIOGRAPHY
Xuanhe 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’s 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. Dr. Zhao is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, SES Young Investigator Medal, ASME Hughes Young Investigator Award, Adhesion Society’s 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.
赵选贺是MIT终身教授，MIT d'Arbeloff Career Development 和 Noyce Career Development 讲座教授。MIT赵实验室(zhao.mit.edu)的研究领域包含机械、材料、生物技术， 长期致力于推动人机交互和融合科技，用以解决健康、可持续发展等重大社会问题。当前研究重点之一是软材料科技（Soft Materials Technology）在转化医学和水处理领域的应用。MIT赵实验室的研究成果已经造成社会影响。例如，课题组研制的高韧性水凝胶-弹性体复合材料，作为人体组织模型，已经被美国大部分医院用于训练医生进行医学成像；课题组开发的用于缓解关节疼痛的剪纸（Kirigami）绷带，每年也使得成千上万的患者从中受益。赵选贺博士获得的奖项与荣誉包括：NSF CAREER奖，ONR青年研究员奖，SES青年研究员奖章，ASME Hughes青年研究员奖，Adhesion Society青年科学家奖，Materials Today新星奖和Web of Science高被引科学家等。