Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Hwang Yi is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of architecture, robotics, and biofabrication. Their work focuses on developing responsive building systems, integrating robotic automation into architectural design, and advancing sustainable material technologies. Yi’s major contributions include creating a flexural biomimetic building façade that uses a hybrid soft robot actuator and fabric membrane—a highly cited work (38 citations) that demonstrates how soft robotics can enable adaptive, energy-efficient building skins. They also established one of the first architectural robotics courses in South Korea, bridging design experimentation with kinetic prototyping and construction automation. Notably, Yi addresses equity in STEM through their research on robotics education for underrepresented minority (URM) students, identifying challenges and opportunities for inclusive design pedagogy. More recently, Yi has ventured into biofabrication, exploring 3D bioprinting with nature-sourced multi-material powder hydrogels for architectural applications (6 citations), and is pushing the boundaries of deep reinforcement learning for robot-arm fabrication of rule-based building forms. With a growing body of work that spans from responsive façades to equitable education and bio-based materials, Hwang Yi is shaping a future where buildings are not only intelligent and adaptive but also inclusive and ecologically mindful.