Collection Overview 

Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Robotic and autonomous materials.

Robotic and autonomous materials is an emerging field that integrates materials science, robotics, and artificial intelligence to develop materials capable of sensing, decision-making, and actuation without external control. Unlike conventional passive materials, these systems are designed to autonomously respond to environmental stimuli, adapt their properties, and perform programmed functions—effectively blurring the boundary between structure and machine. The field is gaining increasing traction due to its potential to revolutionize areas such as soft robotics, adaptive infrastructure, self-healing systems, and smart prosthetics by embedding autonomy directly at the material level, enabling more efficient and decentralized responses. Currently, the field is advancing through the development of multifunctional composites, responsive polymers, and materials with embedded sensor-actuator-feedback loops.

This will be a Collection of original research papers  and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. Narrative review articles are also welcomed, to our sister journal Scientific Reviews. We are welcoming submissions until 23rd July 2026.

Why is this Collection important?

"Robotic and autonomous materials represent a transformative frontier where matter itself can sense, decide, and act. I see this topic as profoundly important because it blurs the boundary between structure and machine, enabling adaptive infrastructure, self-healing systems, and intelligent environments. I am excited about this collection because it brings together advances in materials science, robotics, AI, and manufacturing into a shared vision of embodied intelligence. Researchers should submit to this collection to help shape a foundational field that will influence the next generation of smart, responsive systems."

- Dr. Savas Dilibal, Guest Editor

Why submit to a collection?  

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.  

Who is involved?

Guest Editors:

• Savas Dilibal, Istanbul Gedik University, Turkey
• Pengcheng Jiao, Zhejiang University, China
• Jia-Yang Juang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Chenyu Wang, Scientific Reports, USA
• Commissioning Editor: Quintina Dawson, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Eleanor Smith, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page for more information on the Collection, and how to submit your article.