Illusory Material

Jiani Zeng and Honghao Deng are designers and researchers based in San Francisco. Graduated from MIT and Harvard, they explore design opportunities that exist on the boundary between the digital and physical realms: such as reinventing material expression using multi-material 3D printing, creating responsive environment with AIoT and soft-robotics. They co-invented “Illusory Material”, which was selected “The best experimental project of 2020" by Fast Company and "Best Inventions 2021" by TIME. They are the co-founders of Butlr Technologies, an MIT Media Lab spin-off that builds the next-gen people-sensing platform. Zeng and Deng are recognized as the “Next Generation 2021” designers by Wallpaper Magazine and featured on Forbes 30 under 30 List for 2022.