We are delighted to report that Dr Giacomo Sasso has won the PDRA Flash Presentation Competition that was held during the ILF in SEMS on the 5th November 2025. This is an opportunity for our early career researchers to pitch their research ideas to an audience of industrial visitors as well as their peers.

Giacomo pitched his idea for an entirely novel new mechanochromic touch sensor, whose colour changes depending upon the pressure that it exerts. This is a collaboration between the Soft Matter Group at QMUL and the University of Florence. Giacomo’s supervisor, Prof James Busfield comments, “Giacomo has a wonderful enthusiasm for soft robotics and his energy came across well in the competition. He has led the team to build a fantastic demonstrator of a brand new approach to sensing objects. It is very impressive work.”