Biological Adaptability Lab

Bioinspired Soft Robotics and Electronics for Adaptive Biomedical Systems

We aim to realize bioinspired soft robots and electronic devices that can be implanted with minimal tissue damage and adapt to diverse tissues and organs for diagnosis and therapy. To achieve this goal, we develop core technologies in locomotion, sensor development and integration, and shape reconfiguration.

Research Highlights

Science Robotics · 2021

Vital signal sensing and manipulation of a microscale organ with a multifunctional soft gripper

Nature Electronics · 2024

Crumple-recoverable electronics based on plastic to elastic deformation transitions

Science Advances · 2025

Deployable electronics with enhanced fatigue resistance for crumpling and tension

npj Flexible Electronics · 2024

Transient shuttle for a widespread neural probe with minimal perturbation

npj Flexible Electronics · 2025

Fiber-reinforced origami electronics with high rigidity and flexibility for display applications

전체 논문 보기 →

News

2026.09
LaunchThe Biological Adaptability Lab officially launches at the Department of Digital Healthcare Engineering, Korea University, Sejong Campus.
2026.05
AwardOur paper in Advanced Engineering Materials was recognized as one of the most-viewed papers of 2024!

전체 보기 →

Research

Our lab develops bioinspired soft robots and electronics for safe biointegration in diagnosis and therapy, with a focus on locomotion, sensing and integration, and shape reconfiguration. These advances can also be applied to broader fields, including robotics and displays.

/ 01

Locomotion

Understanding the fundamental principles of biological locomotion and its interactions with the environment to develop locomotion strategies and artificial muscles that enable effective movement across diverse environments.

Science Advances (2025), TBD

/ 02

Sensing and Integration

Developing flexible electronic sensors and integrating them into robotic, electronic, and medical devices to monitor environmental and physiological states in real time, enabling adaptive responses to dynamic conditions.

Science Robotics (2021), Nature Electronics (2024)

/ 03

Shape Reconfiguration

Developing adaptive systems inspired by biological shape reconfiguration that transform their shapes to perform different functions in response to changing environments and demands.

Materials Horizons (2025), npj Flexible Electronics (2025)

Yeonwook Roh

Assistant Professor
Department of Digital Healthcare Engineering
Korea University, Sejong Campus

Phone:
Email: yeroh0827@korea.ac.kr
Office: Science and Technology Building I (과학기술1관), #310C

Google Scholar CV

Education

2019.03–2023.08
Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering
Ajou University, Suwon, KoreaAdvisor: Prof. Seungyong Han, Co-Advisor: Prof. Daeshik Kang, Prof. Je-sung Koh
2015.03–2019.02
B.A. in History & B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
Ajou University, Suwon, Korea

Professional Experience

2026.09–
Assistant Professor
Department of Digital Healthcare EngineeringKorea University, Sejong Campus
2024.08–2026.08
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of California San Diego, CA, USAAdvisor: Michael T. Tolley
2023.09–2024.08
Postdoctoral Researcher
Ajou University, Suwon, Korea

Honors & Awards

2026
Wiley Top Viewed Article Recognition
Wiley-VCH GmbH
2024
Selection for Best of Advanced Engineering Materials
Wiley-VCH GmbH
2024–25
Sejong Science Fellowship
Overseas, Ministry of Science
2024
30th Samsung Human-Tech Paper Award
Samsung Electronics
2024
University President Award, 아주대학교 총장상 (연구업적 최우수 졸업생)
Ajou University
2023
Talent Award of Korea (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Award)
대한민국 인재상 (부총리 겸 교육부장관상)
Korean Ministry of Education
2023–24
Post-Doctoral Domestic Training
Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers, Ministry of Education, Korea
2023
29th Samsung Human-Tech Paper Award
Samsung Electronics
2023
Best Poster Award
Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers (KSME)
2022
Best Paper Award
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ajou University
2021–23
Research Subsidies for Ph.D. Candidates
Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers, Ministry of Education, Korea
2020
26th Samsung Human-Tech Paper Award
Samsung Electronics

Teaching Experience

2026–2
Digital Healthcare Engineering Design (DIHE202)
Korea University, Sejong Campus
Sensor Engineering (EIEN346)
Korea University, Sejong Campus

Coming soon.

Publications

First & Corresponding Author

Google Scholar →

23

TBD

Y. Roh, T. Seo, M. T. Tolley^*, In preparation.
22

TBD

Y. Roh, T. Seo^*, M. T. Tolley^*, In preparation.
21

TBD

Y. Roh^#, S. Chae^#, H. Seo, N. Gravish^*, M. T. Tolley^*, In preparation.
20

TBD

D. Lim^#, Y. Roh^#, D. Lee^#, K. S. Lim^#, I. Hong, M. Kim, D. Shin, D. Gong, S. Kim, E. Kim, P. Kang, C. Y. Jeon, H. C. Son, S. Seo, H. K. Kim, B. K. Koo, S. Koh^*, D. Kang^*, S. Han^*, Under Review.
19

Fiber-Reinforced Origami Electronics with High Rigidity and Flexibility for Display Applications

D. Gong^#, M. Kang^#, S. Hwang^#, J. Cho, I. Hong, Y. Roh^*, S. Han^*, npj Flexible Electronics, 2025
18

Deployable Electronics with Enhanced Fatigue Resistance for Crumpling and Tension

I. Hong^#, Y. Roh^#, J. Cho^#, S. Lee, M. Kang, D. Choi, D. Gong, H. An, D. Lim, D. Shin, J. Park, C. Kim, T. Kim, M. Kim, S. Im, J. Lee, G. Lee, U. Kim, S. H. Ko, S. Koh^*, D. Kang^*, S. Han^*, Science Advance, 2025, 30th Samsung Human-Tech Award.
17

Shape-Reconfigurable Electronic Composite for Stimulus Customizable Detection via Neutral Plane Shifting

D. Gong^#, Y. Roh^#, J.H. Lee^#, S. Hwang, C. Kim, K. Ji, I. Back, D. Shin, D. Lim, I. Hong, D. Lee, S. Koh^*, D. Kang^*, S. Han^*, Materials Horizons, 2024.
16

Transient Shuttle for a Widespread Neural Probe with Minimal Perturbation

Y. Roh^#, H. Kim^#, E. Kim^#, K. Ji^#, M. Kang, D. Gong, S. Im, I. Hong, J. Park, S. J. Park, Y. Bae, J. Park, J. S. Koh, S. Han, E. J. Lee^*, D. Kang^*, npj Flexible Electronics, 2024.
15

Rigidity-Tunable Materials for Soft Engineering Systems

Y. Roh^#, D. Lim^#, M. Kang^#, J. Cho, S. Han, S. H. Ko^*, Advanced Engineering Materials, 2024, Awarded Best Article of the Year.
14

Crumple-Recoverable Electronics based on Plastic to Elastic Deformation Transitions

Y. Roh^#, S. Lee^#, S. M. Won^#, S. Hwang, D. Gong, C. Kim, I. Hong, D. Lim, H. Kim, M. Kim, B. Kim, T. Kim, S. Im, D. Shin, U. Kim, J. Choi, J. S. Koh^*, D. Kang^*, S. Han^*, Nature Electronics, 2024, 29th Samsung Human-Tech Award.
13

Nature's Blueprint in Bioinspired Materials for Robotics

Y. Roh^#, Y. Lee^#, D. Lim^#, D. Gong, S. Hwang, M. Kang, D. Kim, J. Cho, G. Kwon, D. Kang, S. Han^*, S. H. Ko^*, Advanced Functional Materials, 2023.
12

Spider-Inspired Tunable Mechanosensor for Biomedical Applications

T. Kim^#, I. Hong^#, Y. Roh^#, D. Kim, S. Kim, S. Im, C. Kim, K. Jang, S. Kim, M. Kim, J. Park, D. Gong, K. Ahn, J. Lee, G. Lee, H. Lee, J. Kang, J. M. Hong, S. Lee, S. Seo, B. K. Koo^*, J. S. Koh^*, S. Han^*, D. Kang^*, npj Flexible Electronics, 2023.
11

Vital Signal Sensing and Manipulation of a Microscale Organ with a Multifunctional Soft Gripper

Y. Roh^#, M. Kim^#, S. M. Won^#, D. Lim, I. Hong, S. Lee, C. Kim, D. Lee, S. Im, G. Lee, D. Kim, D. Shin, D. Gong, B. Kim, S. Kim, S. Kim, H. K. Kim, B. K. Koo, S. Seo, J. S. Koh^*, D. Kang^*, S. Han^*, Science Robotics, 2021, 26th Samsung Human-Tech Award.
10

Semipermanent Copper Nanowire Network with an Oxidation-Proof Encapsulation Layer

I. Hong^#, Y. Roh^#, J. S. Koh^#, S. Na, T. Kim, E. Lee, H. An, J. Kwon, J. Yeo, S. Hong, K. T. Lee, D. Kang^*, S. H. Ko, S. Han^*, Advanced Materials Technologies, 2019.

Publications

Co-Author

9

Opportunities for Soft Electrohydraulic Actuation for Burrowing in Dry and Submerged Granular Media

H. Seo^#, E. Acome, N. Kellaris, S. Mitcell, N. Robrbaugh, Y. Roh, N. Gravish, M. Tolley, 2026 IEEE RoboSoft, 2026.
8

Breathable, Wearable Skin Analyzer for Reliable Long-Term Monitoring of Skin Barrier Function and Individual Environmental Health Impacts

I. Hong^#, D. Lim^#, D. Kim^#, M. Hong^#, S. Kang, K. Ji, T. Oh, S. Hwang, Y. Roh, D. Gong, G. Kwon, T. Kim, C. Im, E. Kim, J. Lee, S. Kim, J. Kim, S. Kim, K. Shim, S. See^*, S. Koh^*, S. Han^*, D. Kang^*, Nature Communications, 2025.
7

Wing-Strain-based Flight Control of Flapping-Wing Drones through Reinforcement Learning

T. Kim^#, I. Hong^#, S. Im^#, S. Rho^#, M. Kim, Y. Roh, C. Kim, J. Park, D. Lim, D. Lee, S. Lee, J. Lee, I. Back, J. Lee, S. Seo, U. Kim, J. Cho, M. R. Hong, S. Kang, Y. M. Choi, J. S. Koh^*, S. Han^*, D. Kang^*, Nature Machine Intelligence, 2024.
6

Real-Time Counting of Wheezing Events from Lung Sounds Using Deep Learning Algorithms: Implications for Disease Prediction and Early Intervention

S. Im^#, T. Kim^#, C. Min, S. Kang, Y. Roh, C. Kim, M. Kim, S. H. Kim, K. Shim, J. S. Koh, S. Han, J. Lee, D. Kim^*, D. Kang^*, S. Seo^*, Plos One, 2023.
5

Ultra-Stable and Tough Bioinspired Crack-based Tactile Sensor for Small Legged Robots

T. Kim^#, I. Hong^#, M. Kim^#, S. Im^#, Y. Roh, C. Kim, J. Lim, D. Kim, J. Park, S. Lee, D. Lim, J. Cho, S. Huh, S. U. Jo, C. Kim, J. S. Koh^*, S. Han^*, D. Kang^*, npj Flexible Electronics, 2023.
4

Functional Encapsulating Structure for Wireless and Immediate Monitoring of the Fluid Penetration

D. Lim^#, I. Hong^#, S. U. Park, J. W. Chae, S. Lee, H. W. Baac, C. Shin, J. Lee, Y. Roh, C. Im, Y. Park, G. Lee, U. Kim, J. S. Koh, D. Kang, S. Han^*, S. M. Won^*. Advanced Functional Materials, 2022.
3

Nature-Inspired Rollable Electronics

G. Lee^#, Y. W. Choi^#, T. Lee^#, K. S. Lim^#, J. Shin, T. Kim, H. K. Kim, B. K. Koo, H. B. Kim, J. G. Lee, K. Ahn, E. Lee, M. S. Lee, J. Jeon, H. S. Yang, P. Won, S. Mo, N. Kim, M. H. Jeong, Y. Roh, S. Han, J. S. Koh, S. M. Kim^*, D. Kang^*, M. Choi^*, NPG Asia Materials, 2019.
2

FEP Encapsulated Crack-based Sensor for Measurement in Moisture-Laden Environment

M. Kim^#, H. Choi^#, T. Kim, I. Hong, Y. Roh, J. Park, S. Seo, S. Han^*, J. S. Koh^*, D. Kang^*. Materials, 2019.
1

Study on the Oxidation of Copper Nanowire Network Electrodes for Skin Mountable Flexible, Stretchable and Wearable Electronics Applications

I. Hong^#, S. Lee, D. Kim, H. Cho, Y. Roh, H. An, S. Hong, S. H. Ko^*, S. Han^*. Nanotechnology, 2018.

News

2026.09
LaunchThe Biological Adaptability Lab officially launches at the Department of Digital Healthcare Engineering, Korea University, Sejong Campus.
2026.05
AwardOur paper in Advanced Engineering Materials was recognized as one of the most-viewed papers of 2024!

Gallery

Contact

We are always looking for highly motivated Ph.D., M.S., and undergraduate students to join our research team.

Contact Information

Prof. Yeonwook Roh

Office

Science and Technology Building I (과학기술1관), #310C

yeroh0827@korea.ac.kr

Biological Adaptability Lab

Research Highlights

Vital signal sensing and manipulation of a microscale organ with a multifunctional soft gripper

Crumple-recoverable electronics based on plastic to elastic deformation transitions

Deployable electronics with enhanced fatigue resistance for crumpling and tension

Transient shuttle for a widespread neural probe with minimal perturbation

Fiber-reinforced origami electronics with high rigidity and flexibility for display applications

News

Research

Locomotion

Sensing and Integration

Shape Reconfiguration

Yeonwook Roh

Education

Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering

B.A. in History & B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor

Postdoctoral Researcher

Postdoctoral Researcher

Honors & Awards

Wiley Top Viewed Article Recognition

Selection for Best of Advanced Engineering Materials

Sejong Science Fellowship

30th Samsung Human-Tech Paper Award

University President Award, 아주대학교 총장상 (연구업적 최우수 졸업생)

Talent Award of Korea (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Award)대한민국 인재상 (부총리 겸 교육부장관상)

Post-Doctoral Domestic Training

29th Samsung Human-Tech Paper Award

Best Poster Award

Best Paper Award

Research Subsidies for Ph.D. Candidates

26th Samsung Human-Tech Paper Award

Teaching Experience

Digital Healthcare Engineering Design (DIHE202)

Sensor Engineering (EIEN346)

First & Corresponding Author

Co-Author

News

Gallery

Contact

Prof. Yeonwook Roh

Talent Award of Korea (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Award)
대한민국 인재상 (부총리 겸 교육부장관상)