Materials that couple sensing, actuation, computation, and communication

Tightly integrating sensing, actuation, and computation into composites could enable a new generation of truly smart material systems that can change their appearance and shape autonomously. Applications for such materials include airfoils that change their aerodynamic profile, vehicles with camouflage abilities, bridges that detect and repair damage, or robotic skins and prosthetics with a realistic sense of touch. Although integrating sensors and actuators into composites is becoming increasingly common, the opportunities afforded by embedded computation have only been marginally explored. Here, the key challenge is the gap between the continuous physics of materials and the discrete mathematics of…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• DA
  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
• AF
  Air Force Office of Scientific Research
• AR
  Army Research Office