“In one aspect of the disclosure, a thermally responsive shape memory actuator comprises a body including a first end, a second end, and at least one non-linear segment disposed between the first end ...

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) can remember different shapes and can be recovered to their permanent shapes from temporary shapes with appropriate stimuli, such as heat, humidity, and electrical field.

Researcher Ken Gall uses this thermomechanical test frame to determine the maximum possible shape change of his team's shape-memory polymer. Shape-memory alloys and polymers are the contortionists of ...

Shape memory materials that can revert back into a desired form after being bent, twisted and stretched are finding their way into a number of applications, ranging from sports bras to more efficient ...

The technique of keyhole surgery minimises scarring, speeds healing and reduces the risk of infection. However, it is extremely difficult to carry out delicate surgical procedures accurately in a ...

Polymers that change shape when heated could open blocked arteries, probe neurons in the brain, and strengthen spines. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing so-called shape ...

While shape-memory materials do have some interesting potential applications, many of them require the application of heat in order to change shape – and that could cause problems, in ...

Imagine a world of shape-shifters. A surgeon inserts a small lump of plastic into an anesthetized patient and, like magic, it expands into a life-saving mesh tube that keeps a formerly clogged artery ...

The technique of keyhole surgery minimises scarring, speeds healing and reduces the risk of infection. However, it is extremely difficult to carry out delicate surgical procedures accurately in a ...