Nitinol (Nickel-Titanium) is a relatively new technology on the scene, and is being used in more and more products everyday - especially robotics! Although Nitinol sells under different trade names: Shape Memory Alloy, Muscle Wire, Flexinol, BioMetal, and others - it is basicly the same formula. As the name would suggest; Nitinol is an alloy composed of Nickel and Titanium. It is found mostly in the form of wire or sheets; mostly... The wire and sheets also come in different sizes and shapes. The Nickel and Titanium is formed into a crystal like structure that can be trained. The application of heat (provided by a controlled pulse of electricity along the Nitinol wire for example) causes a crystalline structure change in the wire. Nitinol wire contracts when heated and returns to its original size and shape when cooled. This is where the terms Muscle wire, and Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) come from. Nitinol is also the "secret" behind the Wiregram Magic Tricks that have been cropping up lately. I won't reveal the secret here, however, it is easy to do and can be found in the books below. Please see the sections: Robots & Stuff: Stiquito Kits and Robots & Stuff: Elegant Aliforms for more info and kits on Nitinol. |
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