Intelligent composite materials for use as sensors and actuators

Sensors and actuators are the key basic components of the automation system and information system. There are various kinds of sensors and actuators that make full use of the characteristic properties of different materials to acquire, transform, display, and process information. The materials used for sensors and actuators are metals, ceramics, organics, and semiconductors, or even composites combine the advantages of these four kinds of materials to gain better performance. In this chapter, we have summarized the strategies and methods for designing and fabricating composites used for sensors and actuators. The definitions, compositions, characteristics, classifications, designs, and applications of typical intelligent composites based on shape memory alloys (SMAs), piezoelectric materials, optical fibers, carbon materials, magnetostrictive materials, and intelligent polymer materials are briefly reviewed.