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About

Atsushi Shishido is a materials scientist whose research spans light-responsive polymers, flexible electronics, and advanced strain analysis, with particular focus on bridging fundamental polymer physics with real-world device engineering. He is best known for his pioneering work on photomobile polymer materials, demonstrating that crosslinked azobenzene liquid-crystalline polymers can be engineered to produce remarkable three-dimensional movements — including inchworm-like locomotion and robotic arm motion — driven entirely by light. This landmark 2008 study has accumulated nearly 380 citations and remains a touchstone reference in the field of light-driven soft actuators and molecular machines. Shishido has continued advancing stimuli-responsive polymer design, exploring sunlight-driven azobenzene systems with broad relevance to sustainable molecular devices. A parallel and equally significant thread of his work addresses the mechanical behavior of flexible films, where he has developed innovative surface-labelled grating and curvature-monitoring methods to quantify bending strain, fatigue, and hysteresis — critical challenges for flexible electronics and soft robotics. His nanoscale strain analyses offer practical guidance for preventing fracture in next-generation wearable and bendable devices. Across his career, Shishido has established himself as a versatile researcher whose contributions meaningfully connect photonics, polymer mechanics, and emerging device technologies.