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29 June 2026
Interview with Dr. Wenbo Ding—Winner of the Sensors Young Investigator Award


1. Congratulations on winning the Sensors Young Investigator Award! Could you briefly introduce yourself and your main research interests to our readers?
Thank you very much for this recognition. I’m Wenbo Ding, a tenured associate professor at Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, leading the Smart Sensing and Robotics Lab. I earned my BE and PhD from Tsinghua University, followed by a postdoctoral position at Georgia Tech.
My research mainly focuses on robot tactile sensing and embodied intelligence with an interdisciplinary approach of e-skin, visuo-tactile sensing, and triboelectric nanogenerators.

2. How did you hear about this award, and what impact do you think such awards can have on a researcher’s career?
I learned about the Sensors Young Investigator Award via the official updates and academic community channels.
This award delivers tangible value for young researchers. It offers authoritative external recognition of independent research contributions, expands academic visibility and networking opportunities, and serves as strong supporting credentials for future grant and talent program applications. More importantly, it encourages young scholars exploring emerging interdisciplinary sensing fields and validates persistent research efforts to the global academic community.

3. Do you have any advice for aspiring young researchers looking to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields?
I have three straightforward suggestions.
First, break disciplinary boundaries. My lab’s breakthroughs come from combining materials, circuits, robotics and algorithms; cross-domain knowledge helps identify unique research gaps overlooked by single-field researchers.
Second, balance fundamental exploration with practical needs. Anchor your research to real-world bottlenecks instead of purely theoretical curiosity so your work can generate lasting translational value.
Third, stay patient and embrace trial and error. High-impact sensor research involves countless failed experiments. Focus on building a consistent long-term research line rather than chasing short-term paper outputs. Also, actively collaborate and mentor peers to grow alongside the academic community.

4. Do you have any suggestions on how our journal could further support young researchers and the academic community?
Establishing a highly recognized award is always an effective way to promote the journal in the community. I suggest Sensors launch the Best Paper award, the “Test-of-Time” award, or a similar award to recognize the impact of published papers.

5. Have you ever encountered any difficulties in your research, and how did you overcome them? What’s your “secret” to a happy scientific life?
When I started my independent research career, one of the biggest challenges I faced was choosing the right research direction. There are so many exciting topics in sensing and related fields that it can be overwhelming to decide where to focus. I addressed this by following the first principles approach—stripping problems down to their fundamentals and asking which directions are both important to the field and genuinely interesting to me. Importance ensures relevance and potential impact, while personal interest sustains motivation over the long term. Once I identified such directions, I leveraged teamwork and integrated them with my own strengths—for example, in device physics, system integration, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This combination allowed us to make breakthroughs more effectively.
As for my “secret” to a happy scientific life, I believe it lies in aligning your work with meaningful questions, collaborating with inspiring colleagues, and maintaining curiosity. A good research life is not just about publications—it’s about continuous learning, solving real problems, and enjoying the process.

6. Is there anyone you would especially like to thank, or anything you wish to share as the winner of this award?
I would like to express sincere gratitude to my PhD supervisor, Prof. Jian Song, and postdoctoral advisor, Prof. Zhong Lin Wang. I also thank my entire lab team, including postdocs and PhD and master’s students—all breakthroughs and publications rely on their persistent experimental work. I appreciate my cross-disciplinary collaborators, funding institutions and industrial partners for their continuous support. Last but not least, I thank the Sensors editorial team, reviewers and award committee for recognizing my work.
This award is not a finish line but a new starting point. My team will keep advancing multimodal visuo-tactile sensing systems to narrow the performance gap between artificial touch and human skin and promote self-powered flexible sensors for intelligent robots and wearable devices. I also hope this recognition inspires more young researchers to join interdisciplinary sensing research and advance sensor technology together with global peers.

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