The main thrust of its work is concerned with the characterisation and performance of electroactive ceramic materials, which includes ferroelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, relaxor, phase change and electrostrictive ceramics. The aim of the project is to develop a theoretical model suitable to be employed in the design of a control system of beam structures provided with piezoelectric transducers and linked to a generic electronic network. It is one of Europe s largest research organisations with a turnover of approximately 1 billion and about 12,000 staff. The private, non-profit foundation is to run a new type of research center for natural sciences. One core competency is smart materials.
Special topics are adaptive wing and winglet, heat engine, crystallography and torsional vibration.
Rate It University of Hull, UK - Particular areas of interest for the Smart Materials Group are electrorheological fluids, ferrofluids and magnetorheological fluids. Further research includes Magnetostrictive materials for use as actuators and vibration damping elements as well as artificial muscles made from co-polymers. The Smart Structures Research Institute's program is in three basic forms - fundamental research, collaborative research and industrially sponsored contract research. Not many information available from site but contact available. It cole polytechnique de Montr al, Canada - GEM3F is a relatively new research team which has focused, since 1993, on Shape Memory Materials characterization and applications.