Intelligent Materials, Second International Conference Proceedings

Book excerpt: The key science and technology challenges which will facilitate the transition from a "make do and mend" philosophy inevitably restricting the degree of intelligence which can be engineered and the "designer materials systems" philosophy which is the ultimate goal are considered. The longer term vision will need to accord much more closely with nature's design paradigms, with control at the molecular, nano, micro and macro level of synthesis and assembly, of active self repair materials systems in function shapes.