This module introduces students to the facilitating world of ‘Smart Materials’. The term ‘Smart Materials’ is used to define a broad collection of materials that have the in-built ability to ‘actuate’ in some way in response to external stimulus. Examples of ‘Smart materials’ include piezoelectrics, electrostrictive materials, shape memory alloys, ferrofluids, various biomimetic materials plus a host of others. This module looks at a selection of smart materials and considers the underlying reasons for the actuating behavior, key performance indicators that aid materials selection, aspects of manufacturing associated with the exploitation of the materials, plus engineering applications of these facilitating and highly useful materials.