Materials that couple sensing, actuation, computation, and communication

Adding autonomy to materials science Shape-memory alloys can alter their shape in response to a change in temperature. This can be thought of as a simple autonomous response, albeit one that is fully programmed at the time of fabrication. It is now possible to build materials or combinations of materials that can sense and respond to their local environment, in ways that might also include simple computations and communication. McEvoy and Correll review recent developments in the creation of autonomous materials. They look at how individual abilities are added to a material and the current limitations in the further development of “robotic materials.” Science , this issue 10.1126/science.1261689