Platform for Monitoring and Control of Electrically Actuated Shape Memory Polymer Nanocomposite Structures

Shape memory polymer nanocomposite structures have a wide range of applications in aerospace, energy, biomedical devices, etc. However, this type of structure has complex and dynamic behaviors, with mechanical, thermal, and electrical performances that need to be monitored in real time. A recently developed low cost, noncontact monitoring and control platform is discussed, which includes six webcams, one thermal imager, and other sense and control electronics. This platform can provide real-time information, such as current, resistance, 3-D geometry, temperature distribution, and recovery speed, acceleration, and torque, while tested structures are undergoing shape recovery. Software with a graphical user interface is developed to enable vision/thermal system calibration, information measurement, and deformation control of shape memory polymer nanocomposite structures. The salient features of the new platform are: the correlation between the webcams and the thermal imager is constructed so that the temperature at any specific point of the structure surface can be autonomously measured in real time; a new approach is included in the platform for the thermal imager calibration; the information sensed in the platform can be used to develop the recovery torque model and the surface temperature prediction model; and a control system can be developed to precisely drive the recovery process.