About The Event
This workshop explores the interplay between mathematics, physics, chemistry and materials science in the study of entangled metamaterials. By focusing on multiscale structures formed from polymers, textiles, and related systems, the workshop seeks to clarify how mathematical and physical models of entanglement can explain and predict mechanical behavior across diverse contexts. Through interdisciplinary talks and discussions, the event will highlight current advances and open challenges, emphasizing both theoretical perspectives and practical applications. This workshop is part of the Junior Research Program The Theory of Periodic Tangles and Their Interdisciplinary Applications supported by the Tohoku Forum for Creativity.
When
From Monday to Thursday
6 - 9 October, 2025
Event Speakers
Tim Chen
University of Houston
Mike Dimitriyev
Texas A&M University
Mizuki Fukuda
Hiroshima University
Tatsuki Hayama
Keio University
Katsuya Inoue
Hiroshima University
Sofia Lambropoulou
National Technical University of Athens
Yasumasa Nishiura
Hokkaido University
Vanessa Sanchez
Rice University
Samuel Poincloux
Aoyama Gakuin University
Event Schedule
Morning
Registration and Welcome Coffee
Welcome Remarks
Sonia Mahmoudi & Takashi Tsuboi
Invited Speaker: Tatsuki Hayama
Title: Mathematical Structure of Multi-Layer Weaving
Coffee Break
Invited Speaker: Mike Dimitriyev
Title: Mechanics, Symmetry, and Broken Symmetry in Knitted Fabrics
Afternoon
Invited Speaker: Katsuya Inoue
Title: Special Properties Brought by Chirality and Their Application to Knitting
Contributed Talk: Samuel Poincloux
Title: Distorted Nature of Regular Knits
Coffee Break
Craft Activities
Weaving and Knitting Experiences
Morning
Registration and Welcome Coffee
Invited Speaker: Sofia Lambropoulou
Title: Bonded Knotted Structures and Applications
Coffee Break
Invited Speaker: Mizuki Fukuda
Title: Exploring the Symmetry of DP Tangles
Afternoon
Invited Speaker: Tim Chen
Title: Knitting through the mechanics of entangled material architectures
Contributed Talk: TBA
Title: TBA
Coffee Break
Craft Activities
Weaving and Knitting Experiences
Reception Party
TBA
Morning
Registration and Welcome Coffee
Invited Speaker: Yasumasa Nishiura
Title: Levinthal's Paradox and Its Forgotten Hypotheses - Revived in Nanoparticle Polymers
Coffee Break
Contributed Talk: Wenjie Zhou
3D Polycatenated Architected Materials
Closing Remarks
Organizers
Afternoon
Excursion to Shiogama & Matsushima
Scheduled return to Sendai (Main Station) / Tohoku University (Katahira Campus) (Guidelines and transport will be provided at Venue. Prior registration through the form provided above is required.)
Morning
Registration and Welcome Coffee
Public Lecture: Vanessa Sanchez
Title: Encoding Robotic Function in Fabrics
Abstract: Fabrics—mechanical metamaterials created through interlacing or interlooping fibers and yarns—provide a powerful platform for encoding function directly through structure. Leveraging structure–function relationships defined by topology, these materials can be designed to sense, actuate, and even demonstrate forms of embodied intelligence. This paradigm enables fabrics to function as soft robotic materials, in contrast to traditional rigid robotic systems. Such functional embodiment is especially promising in the context of wearable devices, where comfort, personalization, and scalable low-cost manufacturing demand robust strategies to integrate sensors, actuators, and interconnects. This seminar will explore how textile design principles and manufacturing methods can be harnessed to create robotic fabrics, highlighting how topology becomes a means of programming robotic function.
Organizers & Supports
Contact Us
Please send an e-mail to get in touch with us. We'll try to respond as soon as possible.
periodic.tangles@gmail.com