Smart Materials

Smart Materials have been specially designed to have one or more property changed in a controlled fashion by an external stimulus, such as stress or temperature.

Smart materials can be used in design and technology lessons and physics classes to create interesting objects that react to the outside world. For example, Faraday film is a crystal-clear material with the thickness and feel of OHP acetate but is coated on one side with an invisible film of metal just a few atoms thick. The film conducts sufficiently to pass current in circuits powering LEDs, buzzers etc. Other examples include is thermochromic sheets, using liquid crystal ink the sheet changes colour when heated above 27ºC and Ferro fluid, a magnetic fluid.

We also offer ElectroLycra. This looks and feels like ordinary Lycra but is highly conductive. It can be cut into narrow slips and used as a soft compliant substitute for metal and foil in switches and sensors, making this idea for a range of different projects.