Abstract
Adaptronics is the German synonym for smart structures and addresses the development of adaptive structural systems. Recent progress in smart structures was presented and exhibited at the 14th International Adaptronic Congress 2011, which took place for the first time in Darmstadt, a leading center for Adaptronics in Germany. Among others, Darmstadt hosts the Fraunhofer LBF (with its research group on Adaptronics), the Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Center for Adaptronics and the LOEWE-Centre of Adaptronics (AdRIA), a joint initiative of the Fraunhofer LBF, the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt.
The latter is a unique, large interdisciplinary research project funded by the State of Hessen and is aimed at creating and sustainably implementing an internationally leading research center for adaptronics at the Darmstadt location. More than 170 researchers work together in nine adaptronic-relevant research areas and in three demonstration projects: adaptive car; quiet office; and adaptive absorber networks—all sharing a state-of-the-art research infrastructure.
The Adaptronic Congress 2011 was set up as a communication platform bringing together experts from industry and research. The Congress was accompanied by an exhibition presenting new system solutions with smart structure components and current product trends. The lectures given were divided into four topics: applications; tools; components; and development. For the first time, these sessions were complemented by an Adaptronics Academy, a platform where PhD students and young professionals presented their research work. The international importance of the Adaptronic Congress 2011 was reflected in the keynote lectures by Dr Jan Leuridan, Executive Vice-President & CTO of LMS International and Professor Stephen Elliott of the ISVR, University of Southampton.
We would like to thank all authors for their high quality contributions. We are also indebted to Professor E Garcia, Editor-in-Chief, and the IOP Publishing team, in particular Natasha Leeper, for providing the opportunity to publish this special section of Smart Materials and Structures.