Recent Advances in Smart Materials for Sensor and Actuator Applications

This Reprint presents a curated collection of research articles focused on recent advances in smart materials for sensor and actuator applications. Smart materials are advanced materials that intelligently respond to various external physical or chemical stimuli (such as magnetic fields, electric fields, temperature, stress, pH, etc.) by altering their own mechanical, electrical, or optical properties in a predictable manner. Thanks to these unique characteristics, smart materials have become one of the most dynamic research topics in engineering and science over the past few decades.

The application of smart materials, especially in the fields of sensors and actuators, is enabling innovations that surpass the limitations of conventional technologies. Materials such as piezoelectric materials, shape memory alloys (SMAs), magnetorheological (MR) and electrorheological (ER) fluids/elastomers, and electroactive polymers (EAPs) are being utilized as key components in diverse systems for high-sensitivity sensing, precise motion control, vibration damping, and energy harvesting.

This Reprint aimed to highlight the latest research achievements and innovative technological advancements in the field of smart materials for sensor and actuator applications.