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Smart Materials

Viewpoints

2023

November:

4D Printing for Biomedical Applications
October:

Harnessing Energy with TENGs
August:

Fiber Pumps for Smart Fabrics
July:

Smart Fabrics
June:

Shape-Memory Polymers for Dental Applications
May:

Smart Materials with Tunable Stiffness and Conductivity
April:

Smart Insulation for Effective Temperature Control
March:

Nanoscale Thermoelectric Materials
February:

Piezoelectric Medical Treatment

2022

December/January:

2022: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2023
November:

Novel Self-Organized Lasers
October:

Smart Medical Implants
September:

Smart Textiles for Electricity Generation
August:

Smart Materials for Nerve-Damage Repair
July:

Organic Crystals as Smart Materials
June:

Breakthrough in Quantum Smart Materials
May:

Piezoelectric Scaffolds for Cartilage Generation
April:

Thermoelectric Advances
March:

Triboelectric Nanogenerator Breakthrough
February:

Self-Repairing Perovskites

2021

December/January:

2021: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2022
November:

Triboelectric Floor
October:

Polymer Muscles
September:

Liquid-Metal Stretchable Energy Harvester
August:

Understanding Piezoelectric Films
July:

Piezoelectric Fibers for Controllable Drug Delivery
June:

Thermal-Regulation Clothing
May:

Electroresponsive Nanopaper
April:

Self-Healing Thermoelectrics
March:

Self-Propelling Liquid Crystals
Smart-Material Applications in Health Care
February:

Flexible Thermoelectric Generators
Opportunities in Smart Wearables

Archived Viewpoints

2020

December/January:

2020: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2021
November:

Smart Materials in Sports Gear
Commercial Development Parameters: IP and Marketing
October:

Thermoelectrochemical Cells
Technology in Brief: Thermoelectrics
September:

Piezoelectric Ultrasound OLEDs
Opportunities in Health Care
August:

Lamborghini's Smart Cooling System
Opportunities in the Automotive Sector
July:

Biomaterial Triboelectrics
Piezoelectric Textiles
June:

The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials

Scenarios Presentation: The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of Technology Development
May:

The Pandemic Crisis: Key Forces That Will Shape the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
April:

Magnetoresponsive Acoustic Metamaterials
Synergistic Technologies
March:

Smart Cellulose Nanomaterials
Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Photovoltaics
February:

Nissan Demonstrates New Acoustic Metamaterial
Self-Healing Thermoelectric Generators

2019

December/January:

2019: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2020
November:

Phototactic Hydrogel
Materials for Mechanocaloric Refrigeration
October:

New Color-Changing Materials
Ultrathin 3D-Printed Piezoelectric Films
September:

Triboelectric Pacemakers
Polymer Covalent Organic Frameworks
August:

Low-Cost Room-Temperature Thermoelectric Generators
New Magnetically Activated Shape-Memory Material
July:

Laser-Induced-Graphene Triboelectric Nanogenerators
Advances in Tin Selenide Thermoelectric Generators
June:

Flexible, Self-Repairing Cement
UV-Activated Hemostatic Hydrogel
May:

Phosphorene Nanoribbons
Snow-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator
April:

Muscle-Like, Self-Strengthening Materials
Flexible Triboelectric Nanogenerators
March:

Piezoelectric Pacemakers
Cultivating Thermoelectric Paper from Bacteria
February:

Thermoelectric Wearables
Controllable Phase-Change Materials

2018

December/January:

2018: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2019
November:

Self-Healing with Chloroplasts
Piezoelectric "Chewing Gum"
October:

High-Temperature Shape-Memory Alloys
Composite Nanomembrane Smart Patches
September:

Triboelectric Audio Sensors
Printing Piezoelectric Sensors
August:

Color-Changing Smart Materials
Negative-Expansion Materials
July:

Thermoelectric Materials in Gaming
Conductive Self-Healing Robotic Skin
June:

Acoustic-Metamaterials Cloaking Devices
Breakthrough Development of Piezoelectric Ceramics
May:

Self-Healing Protective Metal Coatings
Commercial Benefits of Smart Glass
April:

Smart Hydrogel-Based Bandages
Piezomagnetic Sensors
March:

Biodegradable Implantable Pressure Sensors
Energy-Harvesting Internet of Things Devices
February:

Smart Morphing Aircraft Wings
Self-Diagnostic Smart Skin on Vehicles

2017

2016

2015

December/January:

2015: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2016
November:

Temperature-Responsive Hydrogel
Google Patents Smart Grips for Google Glass
October:

New Market Data: Quantitative Confusion?
Materials That Change Texture
September:

New Benchmark in Bismuth Telluride
Smart Paint Set to Emerge Commercially?
August:

Flexible Bioelectronics
New Transparent, Flexible Ferroelectric/Piezoelectric Materials
July:

Using Piezoelectricity to Improve Toughness
Demand for Morphing Materials?
June:

Smart Antifouling Coatings
Liquid Body Armor
May:

Smart-Surfaces Update
Liquid-Metal Motors
April:

Goodyear's Smart-Tire Concepts
Triboelectric-Nanogenerator Jacket
March:

Surge of Market Interest in Smart Materials?
Car Glass in Transition: Smart Mirrors to Smart Glazing
February:

Progress in Large-Scale Thermoelectric Waste-Heat Recovery
Molybdenum Disulfide Piezoelectrics

2014

December/January:

2014: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2015
November:

Smart Materials Enable Smart Bicycles
Smart Materials Underpin Health Advances
October:

Integrating Piezoelectrics and Microelectronics
Mimicking the Octopus
September:

Smart-Materials-Market Update
Outfits That Bruise
August:

Self-Healing Materials: Commercial Progress?
Novel Robots, New Smart Materials
July:

Thermoelectric Leaps
Combining Organic Electronics and Shape-Memory Materials
June:

Triboelectric Energy Harvesting
Color-Changing Stress Sensors
May:

Progress in Piezoelectric Power
April:

Smart Fire-Protection Fabrics
March:

Improving Smart Materials' Value Proposition
February:

Fast-Moving Windows

2013

December/January:

2013: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2014
November:

Smart Packaging
October:

Smart Materials: Market-Development Update
September:

Smart Concrete
August:

Smart Infrastructure: Concepts and Opportunities
July:

Self-Assembling Structures and Programmable Matter
June:

Smart Materials: Patent Landscape
May:

Progress in Lead-Free Piezoelectrics
April:

Energy Harvesting: Market Progress?
March:

Progress in Thermoelectric Materials and Thermoelectric Products
February:

Smart and Intelligent Tires: An Update

2012

December/January:

2012: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2013
November:

Thermoelectric Revolution?
October:

Let There Be Smart Light
September:

From Functional to Smart: Clever Surfaces
August:

Japan Kick-Starting Smart Construction?
July:

Selfish and Smart
June:

Smart Materials and the New Industrial Revolution
May:

Combining Photovoltaic and Thermoelectric Technologies
April:

Smart Materials, Spintronics, and Straintronics
March:

Thermochromic and Thermotropic Materials
February:

Update: The Global Market for Smart Materials
Plasmonic Metamaterials

2011

December/January:

2011: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2012
November:

Murata: Smarter Piezoelectrics
October:

Smart Fluids: Patent Activity and New Applications
September:

Introduction to Phase-Change Materials
August:

Opportunity: Nonstructural Self-Healing Materials
July:

The Recovery: Cars and Electronics in Japan
Self-Repairing Lasers?
June:

Graphene and Smart Materials
May:

Self-Healing Plastics and Rubbers
Bird or Plane (Chinese Research Promises Radar Camouflage)?
April:

High-Temperature Thermoelectric Materials
March:

Beyond Smart: Researchers Create Living Materials
Metamaterials to Improve Satellites?
February:

Piezoelectric Materials: R&D and IP though 2010

2010

December/January:

2010: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2011
November:

Electroactive Polymers: Developers, Approaches, and Applications
October:

Smart Materials: Patent Activity Update
September:

Wind Power and Piezoelectrics
August:

Brother: Packaging Energy Harvesting
July:

Smart Tires: A Progress Update
June:

Human Augmentation and Smart Materials
May:

Smart Materials: A U.K. Initiative
April:

Company Profile: Peratech
March:

Shape-Memory–Alloy Heat-Recovery System
Recent Developments: Living Materials?
February:

Smart Lenses

2009

December/January:

2009: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2010
November:

Smart Polymers and Artificial Muscles: Research and Development Analysis
October:

Electroactive-Fluid Technologies
September:

Magnetism and Smart-Fluid Technologies
August:

Smart Metals: Research and Development Analysis
July:

Recent Developments: Controlled-Behavior Composite Materials | Novel Nanofluid | New Development in Metamaterials
June:

Smart Materials: Patent Activity
May:

Novel Piezoelectric Devices
Recent Developments: A Practical Use for Metamaterials?
April:

An Introduction to Self-Healing Materials
March:

Thermoelectric Technologies: An Introduction to Heat Recovery
February:

Recent Developments: Smarter Infrastructure | Smart Materials: An Important R&D Area | A Significant Advance in Metamaterials?

2008

December/January:

2008: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2009
November:

Creating Metamaterials
October:

Energy Harvesting Using Piezoelectrics: Moving Forward
September:

Recent Developments in Shape-Memory Materials
August:

Technology Overview: Electrochromic Systems
July:

Smart Materials: Implications of Commercialization
June:

Nanotechnology and Smart Materials
May:

Novel Medical Devices and Systems
April:

Recent Developments: Shape-Memory Polymer Changes Color | CRF Pushes Smart Materials
March:

Creative Piezoelectricity
February:

Recent Developments in Thermoelectric Materials

2007

December/January:

2007: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2008
November:

Smart Materials and Safe Transportation
October:

Clothing and Accessories Get Smart—or Intelligent?
September:

Shape-Memory Materials
August:

An Introduction to Metamaterials
July:

Energy-Harvesting Technology: Technology and Market Needs
June:

Smart Materials: Globalization and Sustainability, Part Two
Recent Developments: Smart Radiator Grille
May:

Smart Materials: Globalization and Sustainability
April:

Intellectual Property and Smart Materials
The Global Market for Smart Materials
March:

Developments in Smart Materials for Automotive Applications
February:

Digital Skin

2006

December/January:

2006: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2007
November:

Smart Tires
October:

Robotics and Artificial Robots: An Update
September:

Smart Fasteners: Enabling a New Type of Smart Phone
August:

New Applications for Piezoelectric Material
July:

Siemens Pushing Automotive Applications
June:

Opportunities for Smart Materials in Consumer Products
May:

Opportunities for Smart Materials in Medical Applications
April:

Advanced Artificial Muscles
March:

Opportunities: Industrial, Power, and Construction
February:

Future Opportunities: Smart Materials for Automotive Applications

2005

December/January:

2005: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2006
November:

Wearing Smart Products
October:

Piezoelectric Materials: Promise and Competition
September:

Recent Developments: Recent Developments in Smart-Materials Technology for Medical Applications | Lord Corp.
August:

Smart Materials for Defense Applications
July:

Recent Developments: Vibration-Canceling in Automobiles | Art Meets Science | New Shape-Memory Polymers
June:

Recent Activity in Smart Materials for Aerospace Applications
May:

Bio-Based Smart Plastics
April:

The Elusive Robot Snake
March:

Nanoscale Smart Materials
February:

Smart Materials in Robotics Applications

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

About Smart Materials

Smart materials produce direct, inherent responses to signals such as temperature, voltage, pressure, magnetic fields, and light. The ability to use a very simple device to produce an action in response to specific conditions or signals can dramatically improve the overall performance of a device. Designers can use SMs to simplify products, add features, improve performance, or increase reliability with relatively little complexity. Key SMs include piezoelectrics, electrochromics, shape-memory materials, thermoelectrics, magnetorheological fluids, and self-healing materials. In addition to developments in SMs, developments continue in smart composites and metamaterials.

Notably, except piezoelectric materials, SM markets and technologies are relatively young. Nevertheless, a growing band of SM technologies have now entered commercial applications, albeit often in interesting niches. Existing SM applications are surprisingly numerous and diverse. Examples include simple piezoelectric speakers, smart sporting equipment (such as skis, tennis rackets, and exercise equipment), self-dimming automobile mirrors, magnetorheological suspension systems, medical-imaging devices, autofocus motors for cameras, active noise control for electric transformers or aircraft, and smart textiles.

Continuing commercialization of SM technologies benefits not only SM producers but also other participants across a number of value chains. Indeed, SMs benefit a wide range of companies across many industry sectors—including automotive, aerospace, medical, food, construction and infrastructure, consumer-products, Internet of Things, and robotics sectors. SMs will not only improve many existing products and services but will also enable the creation of completely new systems and approaches. Beyond "traditional" SMs—such as piezoelectrics and SMAs—wholly new materials and systems with smart functionalities are likely to emerge.