Smart Materials: Future Application Scenario

According to Rogers [1990], following advancements could be possible in the field of smart materials and structures"

• Materials which can restrain the propagation of cracks by automatically producing compressive stresses around them to arrest the damage (damage arrest).
• Materials which can discriminate whether the loading is static or impact type and can generate a large force against shock stresses (shock absorbers).
• Materials possessing self repairing capabilities which can heal the damages in due course of time (self healing materials).
• Materials which are useable up to ultra high temperatures such as those encountered by space shuttles when they re-enter the atmosphere of earth from outer space by suitably changing composition through transformation (thermal mitigation).

Takagi [1990] similarly projected the development of more functional and higher grade materials with recognition, discrimination, adjustability, self-diagnostics and self learning capabilities.