Smart/intelligent systems employ active materials as sensors/actuators to respond to environmental conditions for next-generation machines and structures - applications ranging from everyday life to space exploration missions, from civilian products to military needs, from robots to information/communication technology. It is not surprising, then, that the development of smart materials systems and structures demand higher performance sensors/actuators with new and reliable functions and a fully integrated composite system design. This requires the combination of active and passive materials systems, often including the coupling of relevant mechanical, electrical, magnetic, thermal or other physical/chemical properties. This book bridges the fields of smart materials, sensing and actuating devices, and intelligent/smart systems, and provides an opportunity for researchers from related disciplines to build an interdisciplinary research field and community. Topics include: ferroelectrics and piezoelectrics; nanomaterials and nanofabrication; shape-memory alloys and magnetomaterials; active polymers and soft matters; and other materials, devices and characterization.

Designed for both one- and two-semester courses, this textbook provides a succinct and easy-to-read introduction to crystal structures and structure-property relations. By linking together the fundamentals of bond strength and the arrangement of atoms in space with the mechanical, optical, magnetic and electrical properties that they control, students will gain an intuitive understanding of how different materials are suited to particular applications. The systematics of crystal structures are described for both organic and inorganic materials, with coverage including small molecular crystals, polymers, metals, ceramics and semiconductors. Hundreds of figures and practice problems help students gain an advanced, 3D understanding of how structure governs behavior, and a wealth of examples throughout show how the underlying theory is translated into practical devices. With solutions, video lectures and overheads available online for instructors, this is an excellent resource for graduates and senior undergraduates studying materials science and engineering.

Smart/intelligent systems employ active materials as sensors/actuators to respond to environmental conditions for next-generation machines and structures - applications ranging from everyday life to space exploration missions, from civilian products to military needs, from robots to information/communication technology. It is not surprising, then, that the development of smart materials systems and structures demand higher performance sensors/actuators with new and reliable functions and a fully integrated composite system design. This requires the combination of active and passive materials systems, often including the coupling of relevant mechanical, electrical, magnetic, thermal or other physical/chemical properties. This book bridges the fields of smart materials, sensing and actuating devices, and intelligent/smart systems, and provides an opportunity for researchers from related disciplines to build an interdisciplinary research field and community. Topics include: ferroelectrics and piezoelectrics; nanomaterials and nanofabrication; shape-memory alloys and magnetomaterials; active polymers and soft matters; and other materials, devices and characterization.