Carlos Alberto Mota Soares has been Emeritus Professor of Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, since 2018 and Distinguished Professor since 2013.

The career of Professor Carlos Mota Soares started in 1964 as Engineering Apprentice at British Leyland Motor Corporation, where, as a member of the Task Force for Design Automation, which he integrated in 1968, he was a pioneer in introducing computer-assisted design for vehicle components and systems. He obtained a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Solid Mechanics at the University of Aston, Birmingham. Then he got his Ph.D. in Structural Dynamics from the University of Surrey and joined the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research of the University of Southampton, as Associate Researcher between 1974 and 1977. Professor Carlos Mota Soares started working at Technical University of Lisbon in 1977 and became full professor in 1985. He acted as the chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

During his career as a researcher, he has had very significant contributions in several scientific areas such as the computer-aided optimal design of structural and mechanical systems, topology design of structures, mechanics of composite materials and structures, smart technologies in structural engineering and structural and multidisciplinary optimization. He also had a relevant involvement in national and international organizations promoting science in the field of Computational Mechanics, recognized by his peers through the appointment to high positions and attribution of several awards, which represent the recognition of his prestige as a researcher. Among these awards are the J. N. Reddy Medal in 2018, the International Association of Computational Mechanics O.C. Zienkiewicz Award in 2016 and the Doctor Honoris Causa degree from University of Porto in 2017.

Piezoelectric devices are at the forefront of modern smart vibration control strategies and, over time, these technologies have achieved maturity and reliability. Their scalability and their ability to generate high force levels compared to their size make piezoelectric transducers suitable for a wide range of engineering and industrial vibration control applications, from nano to macro scale. 

The electromechanical coupling between the vibrating structure and the piezoelectric elements allows for direct conversion between mechanical and electrical energy, and vice versa. This ability to exploit both direct and inverse piezoelectric effect makes these transducers versatile offering significant simplifications and providing smart features to the control systems. They can be used in active, passive, and semi-active or hybrid vibration control strategies.

Indeed, they are particularly effective as decentralized actuators with built-in feedback loops or shunted electronic circuits, enabling for lightweight and low-power vibration attenuation devices. They are also suitable for developing high-performance active control systems, where fine tuning of damping forces can be achieved, providing superior vibration suppression compared to passive methods alone. This makes piezoelectric transducers valuable also in complex or unpredictable environments, where adaptability is essential to ensure system stability or performance. Moreover, relying on the abovementioned principles and control strategies, many advanced vibration attenuation devices can also be developed, such as, for example, piezoelectric nonlinear energy sinks, metastructures, active mounts, thus further enlarging the field of application of piezoelectric transducers.

This mini-symposium will provide an opportunity for scientists working in the field of smart piezoelectric systems to exchange ideas and discuss the latest research results. Special attention will be given to the modelling, tuning, and experimental characterisation of smart vibration control systems using piezoelectric devices, operating in passive, semi-active, hybrid and fully active control configurations, both linear and non-linear. In addition, contributions related to specific applications, whether at the industrial, exploratory, or prototype level, are highly encouraged and appreciated.

Smart multifunctional composite structures with embedded active elements are opening new frontiers in sensing, actuation, and structural optimization. This special session will spotlight the latest innovations in advanced modeling, design, and testing of these cutting-edge materials, unlocking their application advanced solutions.

Bringing together leading experts and researchers, this session will focus on key topics such as material characterization, high-frequency vibration analysis, wave propagation, fracture behavior, and damage progression in these structures. Special attention will be given to numerical innovative numerical approaches and optimization strategies for these composite devices and micro-structures, with particular emphasis on integrated active elements like piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, and electroactive materials, which serve as sensors and actuators.

Contributions are sought that demonstrate innovative applications of smart composite structures in areas such as energy harvesting, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), structural health monitoring, and vibration control—domains where these materials are driving technological advancements and disruptive solutions.

The concept of Symbiotic Mechatronics expands classical mechatronics to address new challenges by expanding its scope and embracing an increasingly interdisciplinary approach. Driven by advancements in information and communication technology, digitalization, and the growing importance of machine learning, this innovative approach fosters seamless interactions between mechatronic systems and their physical, digital, human, and environmental surroundings. By integrating fields such as mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and data analytics, Symbiotic Mechatronics enables the design, simulation and optimization of complex mechatronic systems in an integrated and collaborative manner.

In the transition from design to operation, digital tools, AI, and machine learning play a vital role in supporting mechatronic systems throughout their lifecycle. Integrated sensors are crucial for data collection, enabling real-time monitoring and feeding valuable data into physics-based models and data-driven methods. This integration allows for accurate predictions and system optimization, supporting advanced capabilities such as condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and real-time optimization.

In conclusion, Symbiotic Mechatronics presents a transformative approach to advancing mechatronic systems through interdisciplinary integration, modeling, and optimization. This mini-symposium will explore these innovations, focusing on their role in driving the industry's digital and green transformation, while enhancing sustainability and competitiveness.

Most machines contain standardized machine elements such as screws, bearings, gears, drive shafts or couplings. In order to monitor specific properties and to realize active functionalities within the machine elements, it is desirable to integrate (i) sensor systems for various measuring tasks or (ii) actuators for active control into these machine elements. Additionally, an intelligent control strategy has to be used in most cases.

In the present mini-symposium, experimental and theoretical/numerical research dealing with smart materials, sensors/actuators or control strategies for machine elements and robotics are welcome. Especially new material approaches, as well as new sensor or actuator concepts and their structural integration, are especially welcome.

Other important aspects of the mini-symposium with respect to machine elements are (i) the energy supply, (ii) the data management and the communication of the integrated sensor systems as well as (iii) the functional reliability and (iv) the ability for wireless updates.

In order to meet the requirements of tomorrow’s world, engineers and architects must design extremely efficient, versatile and intelligent structures. This minisymposium explores the cutting-edge approaches in computational design, analysis, and optimization of adaptive and compliant structures, focusing on energy-efficient load distribution, flexible large-deformation systems, and embodied intelligence.

Adaptive and compliant structures offer promising solutions by leveraging their inherent flexibility to redistribute static and dynamic loads, potentially increasing load-carrying efficiency while reducing mass. Simultaneously, the field is advancing towards the design of structures capable of undergoing large, controlled deformations to perform complex maneuvers, opening up new possibilities in architecture, engineering and robotics. In developing adaptive and compliant structures, the understanding of its structural behavior using computational mechanics plays a vital role. It enables accurate modeling and simulation of complex and deformable structures, which is crucial for designing, optimizing, and controlling these systems.

This mini-symposium aims to provide a platform to present the latest research, exchange ideas, and address challenges in applying computational methods to adaptive and compliant structures, soft robotic structures, and embodied structural intelligence. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Modeling and simulation of compliant structures, including load-responsive and large- deformation systems

• Optimization strategies for energy efficiency and mass reduction in load-adaptive structures

• Design methodologies for flexible structures capable of controlled large deformations

• Motion planning and control for adaptive and flexible structures

• Sensor and actuator integration for both load adaptation and flexible motion control

• Active and passive control strategies for energy efficiency and complex displacement maneuvers

The interesting properties of metamaterials emerge from the interaction of a multitude of the unit cells that they are made of. Linear behavior of the unit cell can be exploited to achieve useful properties such as dispersion, including partial or total bandgaps, anisotropic wave propagation, topologically protected modes and others. Advanced numerical methods are customarily used to investigate these behaviors, in ideal metamaterials, whereby also very compact models can be used, to investigate mechanical and multi-field systems alike.

Along the same lines, non-linear behaviors can be introduced by exploiting both purely mechanical (bi-stability, inertial amplification mechanisms, contact, to mention a few) or multi-field interactions, such as electro-mechanical conversion of power via piezoelectric or magneto-mechanical couplings. The numerical and experimental study of the properties emerging from such behaviors and consequently the rational design of the materials that rely on them, offer very interesting challenges. The return on meeting them is the creation of metamaterials with exciting new properties. The mini-symposium welcomes contributions with a focus on multi-field and/or nonlinear metamaterials, for static and wave propagation related applications.

Fiber composites and metal-composite hybrid structures have become integral to the design of lightweight, energy-efficient structures in fields such as aviation, wind energy, and automotive engineering. These multi-material structures are valued for their outstanding stiffness and strength performance and their ability to be highly optimised for the relevant mechanical load cases. However, ensuring the long-term reliability of such structures presents unique challenges, as they are susceptible to various difficult-to-predict damage modes, including delamination, matrix cracking, fiber breakage, interface debonding, fatigue cracking, and corrosion.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems offer an effective solution to prevent structural failure and optimise maintenance strategies for safety-relevant structures. This session focuses on the transformation of fiber composite and hybrid structures from simple load-bearing components to smart, self-monitoring systems. Attendees are invited to present and discuss novel approaches and technologies addressing key aspects of SHM system development. Relevant topics include but are not limited to:

• novel sensor concepts for usage in SHM systems,
• multi-sensor and multi-method SHM approaches and data fusion,
• data evaluation algorithms for damage detection and identification,
• data evaluation algorithms for remaining useful life and maintenance prognosis,
• holistic approaches to SHM system development,
• demonstrators and practical case studies of SHM applications relevant to the special session topic.

Over recent years we have witnessed a surge of SHM methods, powered by the availability of monitoring data and a plethora of data-driven strategies for damage diagnosis. Yet, in addition to the primary scope of diagnosing damage, the information derived from SHM systems has a less explored potential for extension of the useful lifetime of structures. Considering maturity of the field and the new opportunities presented in the horizon, this special session aims at opening a forum for discussion on SHM technologies and their use for the extension of the useful lifetime of engineering structures. In this context, the use of smart materials can be of interest in enhancing the abilities of SHM strategies due to their properties and peculiarities in interacting with structures (e.g., metastructures, embedded smart materals). This session focuses on methodologies involving theoretical developments or practical applications in mechanical, civil, maritime, aerospace engineering and related fields. Besides, we are open to contributions involving the use of information derived from SHM systems for development of strategies for lifetime extension, including strategies for decision-making, application of smart materials, metamaterials and control systems, or any combination thereof. Likewise, SHM-based methods for estimation of remaining useful life and fatigue life assessment are welcome.

Multiphysics interactions are nowadays increasingly employed to develop innovative and smart devices for vibration control problems. Indeed, the exploitation of interactions among different physical domains allows for a significant reduction in of control complexity, while ensuring reliability, effectiveness and adaptability. A notable example of such devices is related to adaptive tuneable vibration absorbers, which use elements like shape memory alloy wires or beams. In these cases, the mechanical/thermal energy conversion allows for the desired change of dynamic features of the absorber to be obtained.

Other advanced materials and physical principles are also employed, including tuneable in-vacuo structured fabrics, magnetostrictive materials, magnetic shape memory alloys, shape memory polymers, rheological and thermoresponsive materials, and electro-magnetic devices.

As a result, the body of research on multiphysics approaches to vibration control continues to expand, demonstrating their effectiveness and paving the way for future applications in fields such as mechanical, aerospace, marine, and civil engineering.

This special session is intended as an opportunity for scientists working in such a field to meet, share ideas, discuss about future perspectives and present recent innovations. The focus of the special session will be on modelling, tuning and experimental characterization of smart vibration mitigation systems based on energy conversion and multiphysics approach, operating in passive, semi-active or fully active control configurations. Contributions related to specific applications, whether at the industrial or prototype level, are also highly encouraged.