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Actuators
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Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Actuators and Their Applications—2nd Edition
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Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Actuators and Their Applications—2nd Edition

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Actuator Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 3031

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dorin Sabin Copaci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Systems Engineering and Automation, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: SMA actuators; rehabilitation devices; soft robotics; robot control; sensors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Maria Dolores Blanco Rojas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Robotics Laboratory, Department of Systems Engineering and Automation, Carlos III University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: design and control of robotic exoskeletons for rehabilitation; emerging actuation technologies in robotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Janeth Ileana Arias Guadalupe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
Interests: automatica; exoesqueletos; sotf robotics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, emerging actuators such as shape memory alloy (SMA)-based actuators have made it possible to overcome the current limitations of conventional actuators by being integrated into various applications, including medical robotics, rehabilitation robotics, automotive and aerospace industry applications, and more.

Due to their promising properties, SMA-based actuators have received much attention from researchers, where topics related to materials, actuator design, and control are addressed to improve their performance depending on the final application.

This Special Issue addresses research on SMA-based actuators from fundamental studies to their final applications. Original research and review articles are recommended. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Control of SMA actuators;
  • Emerging design and fabrication of SMA actuators;
  • Performance assessment of SMA (e.g., electrical power consumption, efficiency);
  • Sensorless actuator;
  • SMA actuators for robotic applications.

Dr. Dorin Sabin Copaci
Prof. Dr. Maria Dolores Blanco Rojas
Dr. Janeth Ileana Arias Guadalupe
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • shape memory alloy actuator
  • actuator design 
  • control 
  • sensorless actuator
  • modeling

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5645 KB  
Article
Active Composite Plates with Embedded Shape-Memory Alloy Wires for Vibration Damping
by Aron Padilla, Peter L. Bishay and Maya Pishvar
Actuators 2026, 15(3), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15030148 - 3 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 601
Abstract
The integration of shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires into composite laminates offers a promising approach for active vibration damping. Towards this goal, this study investigates the damping behavior of hybrid random mat E-glass/epoxy composite plates with embedded SMA wires under electrically active and inactive [...] Read more.
The integration of shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires into composite laminates offers a promising approach for active vibration damping. Towards this goal, this study investigates the damping behavior of hybrid random mat E-glass/epoxy composite plates with embedded SMA wires under electrically active and inactive conditions. The composites are tested using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV) and an impact hammer to assess the effect of SMA wire activation on the natural frequencies and vibration behavior of composites. For a fixed number of active SMA wires, differences in vibration behavior are evaluated between outer- and inner-wire activation configurations in both two-ply and four-ply composite plates. The results show that SMA wire activation significantly affects damping behavior, while the mode shapes remain unchanged. The magnitude and frequency of the first natural frequency as well as the quality factor (Q-factor) decrease in composites with activated SMA wires compared to the inactive configuration, indicating enhanced energy dissipation. Under the fully active condition, a reduction in vibrational amplitude of approximately 42–60% and a frequency shift of approximately 10–17% are observed. Compared to outer-wire activation, inner-wire activation results in greater reductions in vibration magnitude, reaching approximately 7–13%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Actuators and Their Applications—2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 7305 KB  
Article
Fast Electrical Activation of Shape Memory Alloy Spring Actuators: Sub-Second Response Characterization and Performance Optimization
by Stefano Rodinò, Matteo Chiodo, Antonio Corigliano, Giuseppe Rota and Carmine Maletta
Actuators 2025, 14(12), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14120584 - 2 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1261
Abstract
Background: Shape memory alloy spring actuators offer significant potential for advanced actuation systems in exoskeletons, medical devices, and robotics, but adoption has been limited by slow activation speeds and insufficient design guidelines for achieving rapid response times while maintaining structural integrity. Objective: This [...] Read more.
Background: Shape memory alloy spring actuators offer significant potential for advanced actuation systems in exoskeletons, medical devices, and robotics, but adoption has been limited by slow activation speeds and insufficient design guidelines for achieving rapid response times while maintaining structural integrity. Objective: This study aimed to establish comprehensive design parameters for nickel–titanium spring actuators capable of achieving sub-second activation times through systematic experimental characterization and performance optimization. Methods: Nine different nickel–titanium spring configurations with wire diameters ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 mm and spring indices from 6 to 8 were systematically evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry for thermal characterization, mechanical testing for material properties, high-current electrical activation studies spanning 5–11 A, infrared thermal distribution analysis, and laser displacement sensing for dynamic response measurement. Results: Dynamic testing achieved activation times below 1 s for currents exceeding 5 A, with maximum displacement recoveries reaching 600–800% strain recovery, while springs with intermediate spring index values of 6.5–7.5 provided optimal balance between force output and displacement range, and optimal activation involved moderate current levels of 5–7 A for thin wires and 8–11 A for thick wires. Conclusions: Systematic geometric optimization combined with controlled high-current density activation protocols enables rapid actuation response while maintaining structural integrity, providing essential design parameters for engineering applications requiring fast, reliable actuation cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Actuators and Their Applications—2nd Edition)
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Other

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19 pages, 8732 KB  
Technical Note
SMA Simulator: An Efficient Tool for Simulating the Partial Nonlinear Loading Cycles of Shape Memory Alloy Wire Actuators
by Peter L. Bishay
Actuators 2026, 15(4), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15040183 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 583
Abstract
The behavior of shape memory alloy (SMA) materials is more complex than linear isotropic metals because of their nonlinear thermomechanical coupling. When an SMA material is mechanically stressed or joule-heated, phase transformation happens in the material, and accordingly some material properties dramatically change. [...] Read more.
The behavior of shape memory alloy (SMA) materials is more complex than linear isotropic metals because of their nonlinear thermomechanical coupling. When an SMA material is mechanically stressed or joule-heated, phase transformation happens in the material, and accordingly some material properties dramatically change. In any loading or unloading scenario, the initial state of the material should be known because it significantly affects its behavior. Stress and strain alone are not enough to describe such materials. Temperature and martensitic fraction are also required to simulate SMA materials accurately. This paper presents a MATLAB application, called “SMA Simulator,” that was developed to simulate the nonlinear behavior of SMA wires under mechanical or thermal loads. This tool is very effective in helping users understand the shape memory and pseudoelastic effects in such smart materials, as it allows for plotting the loading path in the 3D stress–strain–temperature space while monitoring the evolution of the martensitic fraction. Any load–unload scenario can be studied, including multiple consecutive partial loading cycles. Since the application is not based on any numerical method that would require extensive meshing, the computational time is minimal, allowing users to perform more simulations and acquire results instantaneously. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Actuators and Their Applications—2nd Edition)
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