Advanced Metamaterials and Manufacturing Group

Innovating Materials for Novel Functionalities

About Me

Hang Xu, PhD, AFHEA

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering (MIAE) at Concordia University. Before joining the department, I was a Research Associate at the Imperial College London, an industrial postdoc (Mitacs Accelerate Fellowship) in Siemens (Aero Derivative Gas Turbines, Montreal), and a postdoc at McGill University. I obtained my PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering in the Pasini group at McGill University and an MSc in Aircraft Design at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Beihang University). My research vision is to develop advanced materials with programmable morphing and motion for innovative performance and functionalities in applications of aerospace structures, sensors, actuators, soft robotics, and medical devices.

Research Lay Summary

Materials in nature achieve extraordinary properties through their complex architectures. Some bio-materials can morph and adapt to environmental changes. For example, pinecone scales disperse seeds due to their bi-layer structures bend in dry autumn. Inspired by nature, scientists are developing artificial composites with complex structures called Architected Materials (Mechanical Metamaterials). Architected Materials obtain their effective properties mainly by structure rather than composition. Through this design step, their properties can even be better than those of the base materials. My research develops programmable Architected Materials for outstanding performance and novel functionalities.