Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Sunghwan Jung is a leading figure in bio-inspired fluid dynamics and soft robotics, whose work bridges fundamental physics with transformative engineering applications. His research primarily explores the mechanics of animal locomotion across fluid interfaces—from aquatic jumps to interfacial flight—and the design of novel soft robots for biomedical use. Jung’s most impactful contribution is the development of a super-soft, super-elastic DNA hydrogel-based soft robot, which mimics earthworm locomotion to navigate confined spaces for targeted cell delivery, a breakthrough cited over 150 times. He has also elucidated the physical constraints governing how aquatic animals jump out of water, providing a unifying framework for this widespread phenomenon. His work extends to bioinspired underwater propulsion, where he computationally analyzed undulatory batoid motion to inform robotic design, and to insect-scale interfacial flight, demonstrating high-speed locomotion at the air-water interface. With a career spanning high-citation foundational studies and cutting-edge robotic prototypes, Jung’s research not only deepens our understanding of biological movement but also paves the way for minimally invasive surgical tools and agile micro-robots.