MIT Technology Review: Materials that alter their shape in response to changes in electrical charge, temperature, or air pressure have been in use for decades. But they have not been widely employed in airplanes because of the extreme stresses they would be exposed to. Now Skylar Tibbets of MIT and his colleagues have partnered with Airbus to develop shape-shifting carbon-fiber composites that can be used in aircraft. The researchers are using unusual carbon-fiber materials—they are not rigid like normal carbon-fiber ones—from a startup named Carbitex. They use a 3D printer to add layers of shape-changing polymers to the carbon-fiber sheets. The resulting carbon-fiber composites can change shape in response to specific stimuli. The first application for the materials will likely be on air intake valves, which change size as a plane changes altitude, but they could potentially replace hydraulic actuators and hinges.
