intelligent materials

Artificial Muscles and Nerves in Industry 4.0

Artificial Muscles and Nerves in Industry 4.0

Multifunctional actuator-sensor systems with shape memory alloys (SMAs) and dielectric elastomers (DEs)
Paul Motzki ORCID Icon, Steffen Hau ORCID Icon, Marvin Schmidt, Stefan Seelecke ORCID Icon
Within the concepts of Industry 4.0, the term “Smart Factory” stands for the creation of effective production environments through digitalization and cyber-physical systems. Most manufacturers plan to make their manufacturing systems more automated, flexible and adaptive. In the course of these efforts, intelligent materials are increasingly brought into focus. Combined actuator and sensory properties enable the construction of lightweight and compact multifunctional actuator-sensor systems that are operated in an energy-efficient, noise-free and emission-free manner. This makes them appropriate for building networked systems. Shape memory alloys (SMAs) and dielectric elastomers (DEs) are particularly suitable for building intelligent actuators, and are presented in this article alongside several use cases.
Industry 4.0 Science | Volume 39 | 2023 | Edition 1 | Pages 8-15 | DOI 10.30844/I4SE.23.1.8
Adaptive Materials with Multiagent Systems

Adaptive Materials with Multiagent Systems

Stefan Bosse, Dirk Lehmhus
Load bearing structures are typically designed with respect to relevant load cases, assuming static shapes and given material properties that are selected during design and material selection. An example of such a material is a particular class of polymers that are capable of changing their elasticity based on the influence of optical, thermal or electrical fields. One problem to be solved in terms of active intelligent cellular structures is the correlated and self-organizing control of cell response and control and the underlying information organization that must provide robustness and real-time capabilities. We propose a hybrid approach combining mobile and reactive self-organizing multi-agent systems (MAS) and machine learning. The MAS is the essential robust information communication technology (ICT). The agents are executed in material-integrated networks consisting of microcomputers. The simulation and implementation of such complex systems is a major challenge.
Industrie 4.0 Management | Volume 34 | 2018 | Edition 4 | Pages 23-26