Prof. Changhong LINGHU
令狐昌鸿
Appointment
Presidential Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong
Principal Investigator
Interfacial Science and Engineering Lab (ISEE Lab), City University of Hong Kong
Director
Research Center for Wise Sports and Athletics (WISA), CityUHK Shenzhen Research Institute
Member
Centre for Robotics and Automation, City University of Hong Kong
Profile Snapshot
Prof. Changhong Linghu is a Presidential Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong and the Principal Investigator of ISEE Lab. His research lies at the intersection of mechanics, materials, robotics, and engineering, with a focus on smart interfacial science and engineering.
About
Prof. Changhong Linghu is a Presidential Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong. He leads the ISEE Lab, which focuses on Interfacial Science and Engineering, and directs the Research Center for Wise Sports and Athletics (WISA) at the CityUHK Shenzhen Research Institute.
Before joining CityUHK, Prof. Linghu was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he worked with Prof. Huajian Gao and Prof. K. Jimmy Hsia. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Nanyang Technological University, and his M.S. and B.E. degrees in Mechanics from Zhejiang University.
His research spans fundamental mechanics, smart materials, robotics, wearable and biomedical technologies, intelligent manufacturing, and data-driven mechanosystems. A central theme of his work is to understand and engineer interfaces — including contact, adhesion, friction, fracture, and interactive boundaries — across physical, biological, and engineered systems.
Research Vision
The ISEE Lab explores how interfacial phenomena can be understood, programmed, and engineered to create intelligent materials, adaptive robotic systems, wearable interfaces, biomedical devices, and next-generation manufacturing technologies. The lab integrates mechanics, materials science, robotics, and data-driven approaches to bridge fundamental interfacial physics with real-world engineering applications.
Research Themes
Smart Interfacial Science & Engineering
Smart Adhesives & Adhesive Metamaterials
Robotics & Human–Machine Interfaces
Flexible, Wearable & Biomedical Technologies
Intelligent Manufacturing & MicroLED Transfer
Data-driven Mechanosystems
Appointments & Education
Presidential Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong
Principal Investigator
Interfacial Science and Engineering Lab (ISEE Lab), City University of Hong Kong
Director
Research Center for Wise Sports and Athletics (WISA), CityUHK Shenzhen Research Institute
Member
Centre for Robotics and Automation, City University of Hong Kong
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Nanyang Technological University
Supervised by Prof. K. Jimmy Hsia and Prof. Huajian Gao
M.S. in Solid Mechanics
Zhejiang University
B.E. in Engineering Mechanics
Zhejiang University
Selected Research Highlights
Smart Adhesive Systems
Developed mechanics-guided smart adhesive systems based on shape memory polymers, adhesive metamaterials, and rubber-to-glass transition strategies for strong, switchable, and scalable adhesion.
Robotic Adhesive Skins
Advanced versatile adhesive skins for robotic interactions with complex environments, enabling adaptive contact, gripping, perching, and object capture.
MicroLED Transfer & Advanced Manufacturing
Contributed to transfer printing and MicroLED mass-transfer technologies, with multiple patents and successful industrial translation.
Mechanics of Interfaces
Established mechanics frameworks for contact, adhesion, fracture, durability, and interfacial transitions across soft and solid materials.
Selected Publications
Representative publications in interfacial mechanics, smart adhesion, soft robotics, and advanced manufacturing.
Zhao M, Chen K, Linghu C., Kan Q, and Kang G., Temperature-Dependent Multiaxial Ratchetting of Polyamide 12 Fabricated by Selective Laser Sintering.
Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures, 2026.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ffe.70373Du Z, Kong L, Bao R, Gao H, Chen W, and Linghu C., Why shear adhesion is not monotonically enhanced by stiffening.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026, 123(30): e2610914123.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2610914123Wang Y, Liu Y, Wu K, Zhang X, Xing H, Zhang S, Linghu C., Wang Y, Li X*, and Gao H*, Programming fracture resistance in metamaterials via elastic instabilities.
Nature, 2026.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10804-0Linghu C., Liu Y, Yang X, Li D, Tan Y Y, Hafiz M H B M, Rohani M F B, Du Z, Su J, Li Y, Huo Y, Xu H, Wang X, Wang Y, Yu J, Gao H*, and Hsia K J*, Fibrillar adhesives with unprecedented adhesion strength, switchability and scalability.
National Science Review, 2024, 11(10): nwae106.
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae106Linghu C.#, Liu Y#, Yang X#, Chen Z#, Feng J, Zhang Y, Li Y, Zhao Z, Seo Y-J, Li J, Jiang H, Su J, Fang Y, Li Y, Wang X*, Wang Y*, Gao H*, and Hsia K J*, Versatile adhesive skin enhances robotic interactions with the environment.
Science Advances, 2025, 11(3): eadt4765.
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt4765Linghu C.#, Wu R#, Chen Y, Huang Y, Seo Y-J, Li H, Wang G*, Gao H*, and Hsia K J*, Long-term adhesion durability revealed through a rheological paradigm.
Science Advances, 2025, 11: eadt3957.
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt3957Linghu C., Liu Y, Tan Y Y, Sing J H M, Tang Y, Zhou A, Wang X, Li D, Gao H*, and Hsia K J*, Overcoming the adhesion paradox and switchability conflict on rough surfaces with shape-memory polymers.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023, 120(13): e2221049120.
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2221049120Linghu C.#, Zhang S#, Wang C, Yu K, Li C, Zeng Y, Zhu H, Jin X, You Z, and Song J*, Universal SMP gripper with massive and selective capabilities for multiscaled, arbitrarily shaped objects.
Science Advances, 2020, 6(7): eaay5120.
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aay5120Wu J#, Guo J#, Linghu C.#, Lu Y, Song J*, Xie T*, and Zhao Q*, Rapid digital light 3D printing enabled by a soft and deformable hydrogel separation interface.
Nature Communications, 2021, 12: 6070.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26386-6Linghu C., Yang X, Liu Y, Li D*, Gao H*, and Hsia K J*, Mechanics of shape-locking-governed R2G adhesion with shape memory polymers.
Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2023, 170: 105091.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2022.105091Linghu C., Zhang S, Wang C, and Song J*, Transfer printing techniques for flexible and stretchable inorganic electronics.
npj Flexible Electronics, 2018, 2: 26.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-018-0037-xProjects & Funding
Wearable Smart Sports and Athletic Devices and Their Interfacial Mechanics (R-IND31002)
2026.04 – 2029.04Industrial Project, Xiamen Youming Trading Co., Ltd.
Principal InvestigatorSmart Sports and Athletics Research (R-IND31001)
2026.02 – 2029.02Industrial Project, Shenzhen Roubo New Materials Co., Ltd.
Principal InvestigatorAdhesive Metamaterials for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies (9382018)
2025.11 – 2028.11Presidential Assistant Professors Scheme, City University of Hong Kong
Principal InvestigatorKumar Sustainability & Innovation Project: Artificial Carbon-Negative Aggregates towards Future Construction (G2001924H)
2023.06 – 2024.06Transformational Project, College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Principal InvestigatorSmart Adhesive Systems through Harnessing Fracture Regimes (MOE-T2EP50122-0001)
2023.01 – PresentMOE Tier 2 Key Project, Singapore Ministry of Education
Deputy MemberBio-inspired high-efficiency transfer printing based on active control of interface adhesion (11872331)
2019.01 – 2022.12General Project, National Natural Science Foundation of China
Core ParticipantTheories and systems construction for stretchable & flexible inorganic electronics (2015CB351901)
2017.01 – 2019.08Sub-project of the National Key Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China
ParticipantPreparation and Testing of Intelligent Soft Materials (K18-525116-008)
2017.04 – 2018.12General Industrial Project, Yisheng Scientific Instruments (Jiaxing) Co., Ltd.
ParticipantIntellectual Property & Translation
Prof. Linghu has filed 20 patents, with more than 10 successfully transferred or commercialized in areas including smart adhesion, transfer printing, MicroLED manufacturing, robotic grippers, and flexible devices.
LINGHU Changhong, K. Jimmy Hsia, Gao Huajian, et al., STRONG AND SWITCHABLE ADHESIVES UTILIZING THE RUBBER-TO-GLASS TRANSITION
WIPO, PCT/SG2024/050603, 2024-09-20, 公开
令狐昌鸿 等. 一种磁控转印印章及磁控转移印刷方法
ZL 2017 1 0448621.X, 2023-03-28, 授权
令狐昌鸿 等. 连续滚动式磁控转印印章、转印系统及方法
CN 109219342 A, 2019-01-15, 公开
令狐昌鸿 等. 基于仿生设计的大规模可编程主动转印印章及转印方法
ZL 2018 1 0732161.8, 授权
令狐昌鸿 等. 高速高分辨率的选择性转移印刷方法
ZL 2018 1 0731559.X, 2020-02-07, 授权
令狐昌鸿 等. 一种通用的形状记忆聚合物转印印章及其转印方法
CN 109941007 A, 2019-06-28, 公开
Selected Honors & Awards
CityUHK Presidential Assistant Professorship
Outstanding Early-Career Board Member Award, International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials
Young Scientist Award in Smart Materials and Structures, 2nd Chinese Conference on Smart Materials and Structural Systems
Revolutionary Top 50 Finalists (RVLT50), 11th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition
Graduate College Research Excellence Award, NTU (only 3 at NTU)
Young Postgraduate Scholar of Distinction in Metamaterials, 2nd China Metamaterials Conference
Sole First Prize Winner, NTU Kumar Sustainability & Innovation Prize
First Prize, 4th 'Gold Panda' Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition of Flexible Electronics (1 out of 228 teams)
Outstanding Master's Thesis of Zhejiang Province, China
Best Winner Prize, 'Chunhui Cup' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition
Gold Medal, 7th China International College Students 'Internet+' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (130 out of 2.28 million teams)
Grand Prize, 'Internet+' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition at Zhejiang Province (1 out of 7,608 teams)
Gold Medal, 12th 'Challenge Cup' Chinese University Student Entrepreneurship Competition (144 out of 1.79 million teams)
Outstanding Postgraduate Awards of Zhejiang Province / Zhejiang University (< 3% in Zhejiang Province)
"Qizhen Cup" – Students' TOP Ten New Academic Advances of Zhejiang University (twice, very selected 10 in Zhejiang University)
Best Paper Award, Journal of Experiments in Fluid Mechanics (only one from Zhejiang University)
Excellent Poster Award, 1st CN National Congress of Soft Matter Mechanics (only one from Zhejiang University in China)
China National Scholarship (Three times, < 0.2% in China)
Tang Lixin Scholarship (Four times, < 1% in Zhejiang University)
Outstanding Graduate Award of Zhejiang Province (< 3% in Zhejiang Province)
Graduate of Merit / Triple A Graduate (< 15% in Zhejiang University)
Academic Service & Leadership
Selected leadership, editorial, society, conference, and institutional service roles.
Featured Leadership Roles
Principal Investigator
Interfacial Science and Engineering Lab (ISEE Lab), City University of Hong Kong
Director
Research Center for Wise Sports and Athletics (WISA), CityUHK Shenzhen Research Institute
Executive Committee Member & Treasurer
Hong Kong Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (HKSTAM)
Research Leadership
Society & Professional Service
Editorial & Reviewer Service
Editorial Roles
Reviewer Service
Reviewer for 20+ international journals, including Science Advances, National Science Review, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Intelligent Systems, Extreme Mechanics Letters, and related journals.
Conference Service
Institutional Service
Mentorship
Prof. Linghu has mentored and co-supervised more than 80 undergraduate and postgraduate students across research projects in mechanics, smart adhesion, robotics, materials, and advanced manufacturing. Over 50 of his mentored students have been placed at leading institutions including Stanford, MIT, Yale, Cambridge, and Oxford.