People

Group leader

Hao Zeng

Associate Professor
Soft matter robotics
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tampere University
+358504359381
hao.zeng@tuni.fi

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-214X

About me

I currently hold a tenure-track position as an Associate Professor of Soft Matter Robotics at Tampere University and a title of Academy Research Fellow from Academy of Finland. I lead a research Group Light Robots.

Our group work at the interface between physics, soft mechanics and material engineering. We are interested in developing general research routes for materials robotics that are out of equilibrium, locomotive, interactive, and capable of self-feedback, adaptation, and communication.

Research topics

We seek ideas for imaginative projects.

We're also big fans of scientific jokes. See updates in group gallery.

Research fields

Optics, soft mechanics, stimuli-responsive materials

Research career

Associate Professor (tenure track), Soft Matter Robotics, Tampere University, 11.2023-10.2028

Academy Research Fellow, Academy of Finland, Tampere University, 2021-2026

Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher, Tampere University, 2018-2021

Post-doc, Tampere University of Technology, 2016-2018

PhD, European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS) / University of Florence, Atomic and Molecular Photonics, 3/2015.

M. Sc, Photonics and Technology, Nankai University, China, 7/2011

B. Sc, Physics, Nankai University, China, 7/2008

Project links

Top achievements

Funding

Group members.

Postdoc:

Shweta

Dr. Shweta Mishra, Postdoctoral Fellowships – Marie Skłodowska-Curie, since 2025. Postdoc since 2024.

2023, PhD in Physics, Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS Pilani). Liquid crystals, display, LCE oscillators.

shweta.mishra@tuni.fi

PhD students:

bee

Jianfeng Yang

PhD student since 2021. 2021, Master, Southeast University. Flying robots, feedback LCEs.

jianfeng.yang@tuni.fi

LeileiSong

Leilei Song, Doctoral Researcher since 2023. In-charge of 2pp microfabrication equipment (UpNano, $$$$).

2022 Master in material sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

leilei.song@tuni.fi

Bingnan

Bingnan Zhou

Doctoral Researcher since 2023. 2023 Master in Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China.

aerodynamics, glider, CFD. bingnan.zhou@tuni.fi

hhh

Fan Liu, I-DEEP Pilot Programme, Doctoral Researcher since 2024. 2023 Master in Polymer Science, University of Science and Technology of China.

rheology, self-oscillator, flying robots. fan.liu@tuni.fi

Bachelor/Master students:

pak

Fahad Korai Baloch, Master student.

Machine learning, electronics. fahad.koraibaloch@tuni.fi

Camel

Manar Soliman, Master student. Light fueled self-oscillation.

manar.soliman@tuni.fi

buffalo

Duy Huynh, Bachelor student. Lab chef.

duy.huynh@tuni.fi

Alumni

Dr. Dengfeng Li (City University of Hong Kong, postdoc, 2024-2025, now associate professor in Shanghai Jiaotong Univ.); Dr. Hongshuang Guo (Tianjin Univ., postdoc co-supervised with Arri, 2020-2025); Zixuan Deng (South China Normal University, MSCA PhD student co-supervised with Arri 2020-2024); Yasaman Nemati (University of Tehran, MSCA PhD student co-supervised with Arri 2021-2024); Valtteri Savonen (TAU, project researcher 2024-2025); Shou-Chung Lu (National Taipei University of Technology, master visitor, 2024); Dr. Qi Yang (Qingdao Uni. Sci. & Tech., CSC visitor, 2024); Nina Qian (Southeast, CSC PhD visitor, 2024); Niklas Vuorenmaa (Tampere, summer student, 2024); Wei-Ting Hsu (National Taipei University of Technology, PhD visitor, 2024); Ming Chen (Southern University of Science and Technology, PhD visitor, 2023); Zhenming Wang (Southern University of Science and Technology, PhD visitor, 2023); Yonglei Lyu (Turku, project researcher, 2023); Zhenyu Xu (Aalto, project researcher, 2022); Xuan Lee (National Taipei University of Technology, master visitor).