Sustainability has become a defining concern in modern engineering, driven by global challenges such as climate change, energy scarcity, and intensifying pollution. Efforts to reform engineering infrastructure to meet sustainability criteria require a re-evaluation of mechanical design and validation principles, which are increasingly insufficient in light of emerging fabrication technologies and unprecedented service conditions. In this talk, I will introduce our work on two problems central to sustainable engineering: the extreme mechanical behavior of advanced alloys in hydrogen environments—the backbone of the emerging hydrogen economy—and the mechanical validation of additively manufactured structures, which is essential for the industrial-scale fabrication of low-cost, durable metallic structures. Through a combination of multiscale modeling methods, we reveal the mechanisms of hydrogen–microstructure interactions and the porosity-governed deformation and fracture behavior of additively manufactured heterostructured materials. Our work advances the understanding of extreme mechanics in metallic materials and lays the foundation for mechanics-guided design of high-performance structural materials for sustainable engineering.

Compared to conventional AI systems, embodied intelligence requires a significantly richer and more diverse set of data modalities, including vision, language, motion dynamics, tactile feedback, depth perception, mesh-level object tracking, scene reconstruction, and audio signals. In this talk, we introduce ModalityNet, a large-scale multimodal data benchmark for embodied intelligence, covering diverse modalities such as vision, language, motion, touch, and depth. We propose a “data pyramid” framework that spans from high-precision teleoperation data to internet and synthetic data, characterizing the trade-off between data diversity and generalization. To bridge the gap between these layers, we introduce two intermediate data types: High-Precision Human-Environment Interaction (HiPHI) data and In-The-Wild (ITW) data. Specifically, HiPHI-Motion with Object and Vision (HiPHI-MOV) focuses on whole-body motion and object interaction, HiPHI-OmniModality (HiPHI-OM) emphasizes fine-grained manipulation with full-modality alignment, and ITW provides diverse behaviors in natural environments. Together, these datasets establish a comprehensive data foundation for embodied intelligence. This talk will also cover the design of these datasets and the corresponding model training paradigms.

SYSH Hub Forum是面向系统枢纽专业的高层次学术论坛，旨在邀请相关领域内的顶尖专家与具有影响力的学者分享研究、经验和成果，聚焦学术前沿研究，加强交流与合作。SYSH Hub Forum 每季度举办一次，于2024年春季首发。每次的主讲嘉宾由系统枢纽其中一个学域提名，被提名人必须是该领域内国际公认的专家学者，由院长和学域主任投票同意后进行邀请。

蔡教授将回顾其在材料科学与工程领域的长期学术生涯、在中美两国的求学与生活经历，以及工程科学的发展趋势。他将介绍其在复合材料失效模式与刚度研究中的重要成果，并分享其近年研发并推广的全新复合材料制备技术 —“双双层” 铺层工艺（Double‑double lamination）。该技术性能优于传统 “四层” 铺层（quad lamination），被美国国家航空航天局（NASA）的同事称为“真正具有革命性”。

Additive Manufacturing (AM), widely known as 3D printing, is transforming how we design, produce, and deliver physical products. This presentation by Prof Chua offers an in-depth look at the evolution of AM technologies, their classifications, and the unique advantages they bring over traditional manufacturing methods. Through the “5Cs” framework—Concrete, Copper, Circuits, Chocolate, and Cells—the talk illustrates the diverse applications of AM across fields such as construction, electronics, biomedical engineering, and food technology. Emerging trends like bioprinting, AI-assisted generative design, and Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) are also explored, along with the push toward standardization, quality certification, and scalability for mass production. With rapid advancements in materials, processes, and digital integration, AM is positioned not just as a tool for innovation, but as a key enabler of next-generation manufacturing ecosystems—more efficient, personalized, and sustainable.