We live in a world of systems away from equilibrium: from the splash of a liquid droplet to the global weather systems, from a pile of sand to earth's crust, from a single living cell to a school of fish, and to all forms of life. Although such systems are ubiquitous, our understanding of their rich and complex phenomena is still highly limited. Active matter is intrinsically out of equilibrium because its building block - a swimming bacterium, a bird in a flock, or a self-propelled sphere, can move around by drawing energy from a power source. Advances in active matter research not only lead to new physics but also inspire novel materials and help us understand the behaviors of living organisms. Our research aims to systematically study the mechanical properties of active matter, living or artificial, by combining advanced experimental and data analysis techniques.