Smart materials get SMARTer: Self-powered, homeostatic nanomaterials self-regulate in response to environmental change Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-07-smart-materials-smarter-self-powered-homeostatic

In the July 12 issue of Nature, a Harvard-led team of engineers presented a strategy for building self-thermoregulating nanomaterials that can, in principle, be tailored to maintain a set pH, pressure, or just about any other desired parameter by meeting the environmental changes with a compensatory chemical feedback response. Called SMARTS (Self-regulated Mechano-chemical Adaptively Reconfigurable Tunable System), this newly developed materials platform offers a customizable way to autonomously turn chemical reactions on and off and reproduce the type of dynamic self-powered feedback loops found in biological systems. The advance represents a step toward more intelligent and efficient medical implants and even dynamic buildings that could respond to the weather for increased energy efficiency. The researchers also expect that their methodology could have considerable potential for translation into areas such as robotics, computing, and healthcare.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-07-smart-materials-smarter-self-powered-homeostatic.html#jCp