Flexible Research Group

​

​

• Research image featured on the front cover of Materials Horizons

        from Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled “Signal Propagation in Reversible

        Digital Mechanics,” Materials Horizons, 12(24), 12/21/25​

​​

​​

​

​

​

• Prof. Jonathan Hopkins has been elected as a Fellow of the American Society for Precision Engineering, UCLA Samueli Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, 12/01/25

​​

• UCLA Samueli Mechanical Engineering Professor Hopkins, Jonathan Wins ASME Leonardo Da Vinci Award for New Invention, UCLA Samueli Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, 09/04/25

 

• Researchers Develop Alternating Mattress Prototype to Help Prevent Pressure Ulcers, AT Today Magazine, 08/19/25

 

• Engineers Design Alternating-pressure Mattress for Bedsore Prevention, Tech Xplore, 08/07/25

 

• UCLA Engineers Design Alternating-pressure Mattress for Bedsore Prevention, EurekAlert!, 08/05/25

 

• UCLA Engineers Design Alternating-Pressure Mattress for Bedsore Prevention, Samueli School of Engineering, 08/01/25

 

• This Smart Mattress Moves to Prevent Deadly Bed Sores, Science News Today, 06/27/25

 

• Alternating-pressure mattress design could reduce risk of bed sores, Today Headline, 06/25/25

 

• HMN 2025: How Alternating-pressure mattress design may cut back threat of mattress sores, Health Medicine Network, 06/25/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), Newsminer.com, 06/18/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), Le Lezard, 06/18/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), AP News, 06/18/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), Fox44News, 06/18/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), PR Newswire, 06/18/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), Longview News-Journal, 06/18/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), KTLA5, 06/18/25

 

• UCLA and K Medical Researchers say that Alternating-pressure mattresses should increase--not decrease--pressure for preventing pressure ulcers (bedsores), Yahoo! Finance, 06/18/25

 

• Research image featured for a week on the Science Robotics website from Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled “Preventing Pressure Ulcers by Increasing Pressure: An Unorthodox Alternating-pressure Mattress,” Science Robotics, 10(103), 06/18/25

​

• Shape-shifting Metamaterial Mimics Push Puppets, Design Products & Applications (DPA) Magazine, 08/14/24

 

• New 35x Stiffer Push-puppet-inspired Material for Self-deployable Space Robots, Interesting Engineering, 08/13/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial, Innovations Report, 08/13/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys - SwiftTelecast, Swift Telecast, 08/13/24

 

• News Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, Technology Networks, 08/13/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, Bioengineer.org, 08/12/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, ScienMag, 08/12/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, Science Daily, 08/12/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, MorningNews, 08/12/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, Tech Xplore, 08/12/24

 

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, EurekAlert!, 08/12/24

 

• Engineers Create Tunable, Shape-shifting Metamaterial, Mirage News, 08/12/24

 

​​​

​

• Research image featured on the back cover of Materials

       Horizons from Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled “Self-deployable

       Contracting-cord Metamaterials with Tunable Mechanical Properties,”

       Materials Horizons, 11(16), 08/12/24

 

 

​​

​​​

• Engineers Make Tunable, Shape-changing Metamaterial Inspired by Vintage Toys, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, 08/07/24

​

• Mecanique | Le Calculateur sans Nombre, Hors-serie #10 | 67, Epsiloon, 03/19/24.

 

• UCLA Researchers Develop New Hydrogel Material for Soft Robots, Daily Bruin, 08/31/23.

 

• The 2022 Emerging Leaders Award in Smart Materials and Structures, IOP Science Smart Materials and Structures, 02/18/23.

 

• Intelligent Materials: Science Fiction to Science FACT, APS Physics, 11/29/22.

 

• Samoreplicirajući roboti, kolica pokretana umom i oči iz uzgoja, Bug Online, 11/26/22.

 

• Huge Potential – New AI Material Learns Behaviors and Adapts to Changing Conditions, Today UK News, 11/22/22.

 

• Enorme potencial: el nuevo material de IA aprende comportamientos y se adapta a las condiciones cambiantes, NuevoPeriodico, 11/22/22.

 

• Huge Potential – New AI Material Learns Behaviors and Adapts to Changing Conditions, Scitech Daily, 11/22/22.

 

• This brain-inspired material may be able to adapt to its environment, Inverse, 10/31/22.

 

• Finally, Mechanical Devices Have Neural Networks, Analytics India Magazine, 10/27/22.

 

• What physical materials can learn from AI neural networks, Fast Company, 10/22/22.

 

• Inteligentne leće, baterije koje se pune pet minuta i kamere koje snimaju asocijalne vozače, Bug Online, 10/22/22.

 

• ИИ в стиле технопанка: создана механическая нейросеть, умеющая обучаться и реагировать на изменения, Naked Science, 10/21/22.

 

• Reti neurali meccaniche per la produzione di materiali in grado di apprendere, Tech4future, 10/21/22.

 

• Material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties – swifttelecast, Swifttelecast, 10/21/22.

 

• Material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties, Phys.org, 10/21/22.

 

• ‘Artificially intelligent material’ can learn and adjust over time, Institute of Mechanical Engineers, 10/20/22.

 

• AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, Today Headline, 10/20/22.

 

• A new type of material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties to create adaptable, strong structures, New Canaan Advertiser, 10/19/22.

 

• A new type of material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties to create adaptable, strong structures, Houston Chronicle, 10/19/22.

 

• A new type of material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties to create adaptable, strong structures, Yahoo! News / The Conversation, 10/19/22.

 

• A new type of material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties to create adaptable, strong structures, Newsbreak, 10/19/22.

 

• AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, MorningNews, 10/19/22.

 

• Engineers design AI material that adapts and learns & More News, Nanowerk, 10/19/22. 

 

• UCLA engineers design AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, EurekAlert!, 10/19/22.

 

• A new AI material can learn behaviors and adapted to different circumstances, Interesting Engineering, 10/19/22.

 

• UCLA engineers design AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, Bioengineering.org, 10/19/22.

 

• AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions – News Azi, News Azi, 10/19/22.

 

• UCLA engineers design AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, ScienMag, 10/19/22.

 

• AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions – TechNewsBoy.com, TechNewsBoy, 10/19/22.

 

• UCLA engineers design AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, Mirage News, 10/19/22.

 

• Mechanical neural network could enable smart aircraft wings that morph, New Scientist, 10/19/22.

 

• AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, Tech Xplore, 10/19/22.

 

• AI material that learns behaviors and adapts to changing conditions, News 8 Plus, 10/19/22.

 

• Mechanisches neuronales Netz kann autonomy lernen, Heise, 10/19/22.

 

• Engineers design AI material that adapts and learns & More News, WorldNews, 10/19/22.

 

• UCLA engineers design AI materials that learns behaviors and adapts to altering situations & extra trending information, 99NewsBuzz, 10/19/22.

 

• Engineers design AI material that adapts and learns, Post All Times / Technology, 10/19/22.

 

• UCLA Engineers Design AI Material that Learns Behaviors and Adapts to Changing Conditions, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, 10/19/22.

​

​

​

• Research image featured on the front cover of Science Robotics

       from Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled “Mechanical Neural Networks:

       Architected Materials that Learn Behaviors,”

       Science Robotics, 7(71), 10/19/22.

 

 

 

 

• UCLA Engineer Awarded NIH New Innovator Award to Develop Restorative Joint Implants, UCLA Samueli Newsroom, 10/04/22.

​

• Jonathan Hopkins wins the 2021 JMR Best Paper Award, UCLA Samueli Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, 05/10/22.

​

• Announcing the 2021 Best Paper Award and Honorable Mention, ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 04/18/22.

​

• UCLA Researchers Develop New Hydrogel Material for Soft Robots, Daily Bruin, 10/05/21.

​​

• Jonathan Hopkins Elected a Fellow of ASME, UCLA Samueli Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering News, 06/23/21.

​

• UCLA Professor Launches YouTube Channel on Compliant Mechanisms, UCLA Samueli Newsroom, 06/10/21.

​

• Soft Focus: A Flexible Future for Robots, UCLA Newsroom Magazine, 06/01/21.

​​

• Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing, Nature Communications features journal article, “Additively Manufacturable Micro-Mechanical Logic Gates,” in their collection, 08/17/20.

​

• Phase-Changing Metamaterials: A New Frontier in Technology, Advanced Science News, 10/21/19.

​

• Soft Material Research Provides Flexibility for New Engineering, Biotechnology, Daily Bruin, 06/09/19.

​

• Editors’ Choice, for the Precision Engineering journal article titled, “A Review of Micromirror Arrays.” The article will be featured on the Elsevier website until 09/13/19, Elsevier, 05/09/19.

​

• The Future is Flexible (and Squishy), UCLA Samueli School of Engineering News, 04/25/19.    

​

• Researchers Look to Computing’s Past to Unlock 3D-Printed Mechanical Logic Gates for Future, ECN, 02/22/19.

​

• Researchers Look to Computing’s Past to Unlock 3-D-Printed Mechanical Logic Gates for the Future, Tech Xplore, 02/21/19.

​

• Researchers Combine Old-school Logic Gates with 3D Printing to Create ‘Sentient’ Materials, www.3ders.org, 02/21/19.

​

• Researchers Look to Computing’s Past to Unlock 3D-Printed Mechanical Logic Gates for the Future, Technology.org, 02/21/19.

​

• LLNL Researchers 3D Print ‘Sentient’ Logic Gates Inspired by Original Computers, 3D Printed Media Network, 02/20/19.

 

• Combining Mechanical Computing with 3D Printing to Create ‘Sentient’ Materials, Gyges 3D, 02/20/19.

​

• LLNL Researchers Reach into Computing’s Past to Build ‘Sentient’ Material, News Wise, 02/20/19.

 

• Lawrence Livermore Researchers Explore ‘Sentient’ Materials with 3D Printing, 3D Printing Industry, 02/20/19.

 

• Combining Mechanical Computing with 3D Printing to Create ‘Sentient’ Materials, nano werk, 02/20/19.

 

• Sentient Materials: LLNL Print Environmentally Intuitive Logic Gates, 3D Printing.com, 02/20/19.

​

• Microscale Printable Parts, Now Spring-loaded, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering News, 01/15/19.

​

• New Material that Retains Stiffness While Changing Shape Developed, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering News, 12/10/18​.

​

• Jonathan Hopkins, Keynote Speaker at the 4th IEEE/IFToMM International Conference on Reconfigurable Mechanisms and Robots (ReMAR) Delft 2018, 01/01/18.

​

​

​

​

• Research image featured on the cover of Nature 

       Reviews Materials from Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled 

       "Multistable Shape-reconfigurable Architectured Materials,”

       Nature Reviews Materials, 2(11), 11/01/17.

​

​

​

 

• Jonathan Hopkins, Ali Hatamizadeh, and Adam Song Win the Theoretical Contributions in Compliant Mechanisms Award at ASME IDETC, UCLA Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News, 08/14/17.

 

• Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled, “Scanning Holographic Optical Tweezers,” is highlighted in Optics Letters as an Editor’s Pick, OSA Publishing, 07/14/17.

​

• Manufacturing Ideas to Watch – Optical-tweezers-based Additive Fabrication, MForesight: Alliance for Manufacturing Foresight, 05/12/17.

​

• UCLA Engineering Celebrates Students, Faculty, Alumni at Annual Awards Dinner, UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science News, 02/28/17.

​

• Celebrating National Engineers Week 2017: Faculty Honorees, UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science News, 02/21/17.

​

• Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled “Synthesis of Precision Serial Flexure Systems Using Freedom and Constraint Topologies (FACT)” is declared one of the most cited journal articles in Precision Engineering since 2011, Elsevier, posted until 01/01/17.

​

• LLNL Uses 3D Printing & Lightweight Metamaterials to Solve Thermal Mismatch Issues, 3DPRINT.com, 10/26/16.

​

• 3D Printed Metamaterial Shrinks When Heated, Weekly Hot News, 10/26/16.

​

• Heat Shrink 3D Printing Super Materials Can be Used for a Variety of Applications, Voyad, 10/26/16.

​

• Scientists Develop Material That Shrinks When Heated, I4U News, 10/26/16.

 

• News Picks: Metamaterial Shrinks Rather than Expands When Heated, Physics Today, 10/26/16.

​

• 3-D Printed Metamaterial Shrinks When Heated, Newstex, 10/25/16.

​

• Researchers Develop 3D Printed Materials that Shrink When Heated, AZO Materials, 10/25/16.

 

• 3-D Printed Metamaterial Shrinks When Heated, Phys.org, 10/25/16.

 

• New Metamaterial Shrinks When the Heat is On, New Atlas, 10/25/16.

 

• Material that Shrinks in Heat Can Weather Extreme Temperatures, New Scientist, 10/25/16.

 

• 3-D-printed Structures Shrink When Heated, ScienceDaily, 10/25/16.

 

• 3-D-printed Structures Shrink When Heated, MIT News, 10/25/16.

 

• 3D Printed Metamaterial Shrinks When Heated, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory News, 10/24/16.

​

• 3D Printed Metamaterial Shrinks When Heated, Could Boost Atomic-force Microscopes, www.3ders.org, 10/24/16

 

• Focus: 3D Structure Shrinks When Heated, APS Physics, 10/21/16.

​

​

​

 

• Image featured on the inside back cover of Advanced

       Materials from Jonathan Hopkins’ paper titled “Multistable

       Shape-reconfigurable Architectured Materials,”

       Advanced Materials, 28(36), 09/22/16.

​

​

​

 

• Jonathan Hopkins and Frederick Sun Win the 2016 Freudenstein/GM Young Investigator Award at ASME IDETC, UCLA Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News, 08/31/16.

​

• Researchers Create Shape-shifting Materials, UCI Samueli School of Engineering News, 08/18/16.

 

• Shape-shifters Made with a Snap, Nature, 535: pp. 327, 07/20/16.

 

• Three NNSA Researchers Receive President’s Highest Early-career STEM Award, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) News, 05/05/16.

 

• An Active Microarchitectured Material with Programmable Properties, Materials Views, 04/01/16.

 

• Jonathan Hopkins acknowledged in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory News as a former postdoc for winning the PECASE Award, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory News, 02/24/16.

 

• Three UCLA Engineering Professors to be Awarded Highest Honors for Research, Daily Bruin, 02/22/16.

 

• Jonathan Hopkins Wins Nation’s Highest Honor for Young Researchers, UCLA Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News, 02/19/16.

 

• Jonathan Hopkins acknowledged in MIT News as a former MIT alum for winning the PECASE Award, MIT News, 02/19/16.

 

• President Obama Honors Extraordinary Early-Career Scientist, The White House Office of the Press Secretary, 02/18/16.

 

• Three Faculty Win PECASE: Highest Honor for Young Researchers in U.S., UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science News, 02/18/16.

​

• Jonathan Hopkins’ two papers titled “Synthesis of Multi-degree of Freedom, Parallel Flexure System Concepts via Freedom and Constraint Topology (FACT)—Part I: Principles” and “Synthesis of Multi-degree of Freedom, Parallel Flexure System Concepts via Freedom and Constraint Topology (FACT)—Part II: Practice” are declared two of the most cited journal articles in Precision Engineering since 2010, Elsevier, posted until 01/01/16

​

​

​

​

​