Smart materials: a review of recent developments

Purpose - This paper aims to provide a review of recent developments in selected fields of smart material technology. Design/methodology/approach - Following a brief introduction to smart materials, this paper considers research into three classes that are presently attracting particular interest: self-healing materials; smart sensing materials and sensing skins; and shape-changing materials. Findings - This shows that each of these fields is the topic of a major research effort and although few products are yet available commercially, they offer great future potential due to their unique capabilities. A multitude of uses are anticipated in the aerospace, defence, automotive, civil engineering, medical, robotics and other industries. Originality/value - This paper provides a topical, technical insight into developments in three classes of smart materials.