Design of a Soft Underwater Gripper With SMA Actuation

Underwater robot tasks pose many challenges for conventional robotic systems. The current rigid robots are limited in their adaptability to the environment and the objects to be manipulated. Soft grasping of objects offers advantages due to the flexibility when dealing with, for example, living organisms, random shaped objects, and coral...

A Conceptual Development of a Shape Memory Alloy Actuated Variable Camber Morphing Wing

This study describes the development of a morphing wing concept for a Portuguese Air Force Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV), the UAS-30. Nowadays, optimized fuel efficiency is a primary requirement in the aerospace industry, and it can be significantly improved by designing adaptive wings which can change their shape in flight to achieve better...

Designing with an underdeveloped computational composite for materials experience

In response to the urge for multidisciplinary development of computational composites, designers and material scientists are increasingly involved in collaborative projects to valorize these technology-push materials in the early stages of their development. To further develop the computational composites, material scientists need designer’s...

Current State of Applying Smart Materials in Consumer Durables: A Literature Survey

Smart materials have drawn substantial attention and interest in a broad range of applications, due to their unique and superior characteristics. However there is a blurry image over the potential applications of smart materials in consumer durables. This has stalled further research and decision making in initiating the development of consumer...

Organic interfaces

This paper deals with the consequences for product designers resulting from the replacement of traditional interfaces by responsive materials. Part 1 presents a theoretical framework regarding a new paradigm for man-machine interfacing. Part 2 provides an analysis of the opportunities offered by new materials technology for interaction styles....

Information Materials: Smart material based architectural design

This paper questions the current use of materials in architecture, which furthers the preference of surface and form over inherent material properties. It then investigates recent advancements towards the notion of a Digital Materiality, comparing various international research activities and approaches. It concludes with the potentials of Smart...