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Introduction: Historical Overview, Current and Future Perspective

Unni kisan*, R.R. Awashthi and Sanjeev Kumar Trivedi

Faculty of Engineering and Technology, KMC Language University, Lucknow, India

Abstract

Human civilization was dependent on the use of materials in the ancient era as it is today. Humans started using stone before progressing to functional nanomaterials; today, humans benefit from using new advanced materials named smart materials. In the present scenario, humans develop different types of smart materials like piezoelectric materials, magnetostrictive materials, dielectrics, thermoelectric materials, nano-medicines, shape-memory alloys, and rheological fluids. These types of smart materials are applicable for sensing devices, data storage, fast commutation, cloud computing, and different engineering as well as medical tools and equipment. Biodegradable and low-cost smart materials will develop due to the synthesis of different amalgamation of materials in the future. The newly developed smart materials may be rapidly used in the engineering, medical, and the information technology sectors.

This book chapter aims to promote awareness on smart materials for the extensive research and knowledge enhancement for new applications in the future. Historical views and modern and future perspectives of smart materials are discussed in this chapter.

Keywords: Historical overview, smart materials, current prospective, future prospective, application of smart materials

1.1 Introduction

In ancient times, humans used different materials for various purposes, due to which there was an enhancement in their living standards. Civilizations were categorized on the basis of their invention of material; the primary age was the Stone Age. Bronze Age was the most radical and was more sustainable. The development of bronze signified the start of a new metallurgical age, which saw the synthesis of numerous materials. Engineering and technology have made significant advancements in the manufacture of novel materials during the last two decades. They could be subdivided primarily into four groups: polymers, ceramics, metals, and smart materials. Because they have more applications than traditional materials, smart materials are among them and are growing in popularity. Smart materials are unique materials with the capability of changing their properties, such as substances that may instantly change their phase when placed near a magnet or their shape by simply reheating. These unexpected abilities of advanced material will have an effect on every aspect of civilization [1].

The terms "smart," "intelligent," and "adaptive" were first used to describe the newly developing field of research that involved incorporating electro-active efficient materials in massive structures as in actuators and in situ sensors in the beginning of the 1980s. Tiny and microstructure transducers and precise mechatronics (mechanical + electrical) controllers constituted the only applications for electro active materials in the past [2].

Mecha, which signifies mechanical, and tronics are terms from the fields of electrical and electronic engineering, etc. Also included is digital engineering. In the other meaning, as produced items and technologies are advanced, it will become gradually difficult to distinguish the electronics between how deeply and naturally they are incorporated into processes. When seen in the context of systems design, the field of mechatronics could be characterized as the intersection of these three main domains rather than just the total of the three. Figure 1.1 [3] depicts mechatronics' multidisciplinary approach. "The effective integration of electronic control, systems thinking, and precision mechanical engineering in the design of goods and industrial processes" [4].

During the 19th century, mechanical engineering as a popular discipline saw a burst in growth as it established the groundwork of successful and quick advancement for the revolution of the industry. Mechanical, electrical, civil, and chemical engineering were the four main engineering disciplines of the 20th century. These disciplines still have their own bodies of knowledge, textbooks, and professional journals since they are thought to have separate intellectual and professional domains. Entrants might evaluate their unique intellectual abilities and select one of the fields as a career. The information revolution is a current scientific and social change that we are currently witnessing, and oddly, engineering expertise appears to be both concentrating and diversifying. The advancement of engineering electronics that has sparked communication and information that revolutionized people is what gave rise to this modern revolution. One of the newest and most fascinating areas of engineering is mechatronics, which incorporates elements of more established disciplines and necessitates a more comprehensive approach to the design of what we can properly refer to as mechatronic systems. So, exactly what is mechatronics? The word "mechatronics" refers to a multidisciplinary subject of engineering that is currently in rapid development. The term "mechatronics" was first used in Japan in the late 1960s; it later gained popularity in Europe and is now widely used in the US. Mechatronic system design primarily draws on the fields of mechanics, semiconductors, controls, and computer engineering.

Figure 1.1 Mechatronics: a multi-disciplinary approach [4].

An engineer of mechatronic systems must be capable of construction and choose digital and analogical circuitry systems, micro-processor-based elements, mechanical components, actuators, and sensors so that the finished result meets the necessary objectives. Smart devices are another name for mechatronic systems. Although a specific definition of the word "smart" is elusive, in the context of engineering, we refer to the incorporation of aspects like computing, logic, and feedback system that are combined in a complex design, which may appear to emulate human thought procedures. The engineering of mechatronic systems requires knowledge from numerous domains, making it difficult to encapsulate within a traditional field of engineering. The designer of mechatronic systems needs to be a generalist who is eager to learn from a variety of sources and apply it to their work. The learner may initially feel intimidated by this, yet it has many advantages for originality and lifelong learning. Nowadays, almost all mechanical machines come equipped with electrical parts and some kind of computer monitoring or control. As a result, a widespread array of system and components fall under the mechatronic systems. Microcontrollers are being included into electromechanical devices increasingly frequently, giving system designers far greater flexibility and control. All the components of an engineering mechatronic system are shown in Figure 1.2. The interface circuit between the input/output and control circuits are controlled by the digital devices [3].

The engineering disciplines that deal with the design of controlled electromechanical systems are currently in a process of evolutionary transformation. A mechanical system that is computer controlled is referred to as mechatronic. Control decisions are frequently made by an embedded computer rather than a general-purpose computer. Yaskawa Electric Company engineers originally used the term "mechatronics" Nowadays, an embedded computer controller is almost built into every electromechanical system. As a result, concerns with computer hardware and software are included in the discipline of mechatronics when applied to the control of electromechanical systems. The field of mechatronics as we know it today would not exist if cheap microcontrollers were not widely available for the mainstream market. The application of computer control in countless consumer products is made possible by the accessibility of embedded microprocessors for the mass market at continually decreasing cost and rising performance. The preceding model [3] is the outdated model for an electromechanical product design team.

Figure 1.2 Mechanical components in mechatronics system.

Figure 1.3 Structronics-A multidiscipline integration.

1. Engineers who design a manufacturer's mechanical parts;
2. Engineers who create a product's electrical parts, including actuators, sensors, amplifiers, and other devices, as well as the control logic and algorithms;
3. Computer hardware and software developers who design the real-time controls for the product.

Adaptive materials or structures, and smart and intelligent materials are generally thought to have the capacity to be sophisticated, trendy, and active. In Figure 1.3, the structronic system is depicted. As a consequence, the objective of this study is to discuss the fundamental properties, design concepts, and real-world uses of the major smart materials listed in Table 1.1, the smart materials that have been studied. Also covered are the specifications for multifield optothermoelectro mechanical systems, which are used to solve various challenging field control problems coupling thermal, magnetic, electric, magnetic, and optical interactions [2].

1.2 Historical Overview of Smart Material

In 1880, quartz crystals were subjected to mechanical forces and the Curie brothers...