A research team led by Prof. Liao Wei Hsin, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, was awarded the Best Paper Award in Mechanics and Material Systems from American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for the journal paper entitled "Self-expanding/shrinking structures by 4D printing", co-authored by M Bodaghi, A R Damanpack, and W H Liao.

Utilizing additive manufacturing into smart materials has led to 4D printing technology for creating dynamic devices that can change their shape and/or function on-demand and over time. Adaptive structures capable of self-expanding and self-shrinking were created by 4D printing. Actuator units were designed and fabricated directly by printing fibers of shape memory polymers in flexible beams with different arrangements. They can serve as tubular stents and grippers for biomedical or piping applications.

Prof Liao’s research focuses on smart materials and structures, energy harvesting, vibration control, mechatronics, and robotic exoskeleton. It has led to publications of 200 technical papers in international journals and conference proceedings, 16 patents in US, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Institute of Physics, and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.