... of polymer sheets based on a resistively heated ribbon that is in contact with the sheets. A temperature gradient across the thickness of this shape memory polymer (SMP) sheet induces folding along the line of contact with the heating ribbon. Varying the electric current changes the degree of folding...

...Francisco Castro; Kristofer K. Westbrook; Jason Hermiller; Dae Up Ahn; Yifu Ding; H. Jerry Qi Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are a group of adaptive polymers that can recover the permanent shape from a temporary shape by external stimuli on demand. Among a variety of external stimuli for polymer...

... external stimuli. Many previously developed shape memory polymers (SMPs) use the dramatic molecular chain mobility change around the glass transition temperature T g to realize the SM effect. In these materials, the temporary shape cannot be repeated unless it is reprogramed, and therefore the SM effect...