Abstract

Background: The vital role of smart materials in the field of aircraft, spacecraft, defence, electronics, electrical, medical and healthcare industries involve sensing and actuating for monitoring and controlling applications. The class of smart materials are also named as active materials or intelligent materials or adaptive materials. These materials act intelligently based upon the environmental conditions. Structures incorporated with smart materials are named as smart structures.

Methods: The principal objective of the present paper is to explore a comprehensive review of various smart materials viz. piezoelectric materials, Shape Memory Alloy, micro sensors and fibre optic sensors. The significance of these intelligent materials in various fields are also deliberately presented in this work from the perspective of Patents and literatures test data.

Results: Smart Materials possesses multifunctional capabilities. The smart materials viz. piezoelectric materials, Shape Memory Alloy, micro sensors and fibre optic sensors are embedded with structures like aircraft, spacecraft, automotive, bridges, and buildings for the purpose of exhibiting Structural Health Monitoring system. Smart materials are finding increasing applications in the present aircraft, spacecraft, automotive, electronics and healthcare industries.

Conclusion: Innovative ideas would become reality by integrating the any structure with Smart Materials.

Keywords: Smart material, smart systems, piezoelectric, microseansors, shape memory alloy, fiber optics sensors.