Smart Materials

Smart Materials

1. Thermochromic liquid crystals

   • Forehead thermometres
     • thermochromic layer black when cool
       • Turns translucent
   • Battery test pannels
   • Photochromic inks
     • Prize draws
     • React UV light

2. Piezoelectric crystals

   • Expands & contracts when current amplied
   • Epson inkjet printers
     • Pie. crystal on each nozzle
       • Forces ink out
   • Actuators or transducers

3. Smart ink

   • Reflects light like normal paper
     • Backlight of computers hard on human eye
   • Lightweight/durable
     • Flexible
   • Great battery
     • 10,000 pages before changing

4. Radio frequency identification

   • Transmitter & transponder
   • Passive transponders
     • Limited range
     • Pallet tracking
     • Security systems in libraries
   • Active transponder
     • Great ranger (100m+)
     • Expensive
       • Limited lifetime (batery)
     • Shipping containers
     • Vehicles
       • Road toll payment