Rob Bryant was a long-time NASA employee and played a key role in the development of macro fiber composite (MFC) technology. Back in the early 2000s, he worked with Smart Material on the further development and industrialization of piezoceramic composites, which are now used in a wide variety of applications around the world. Today, he operates his consulting firm Technoir. In this interview, he looks back on the early days, his collaboration with Smart Material, and the future of the technology.
Mr. Bryant, you played a key role in the development of MFCs. Looking back, how do you view this innovation today?
It remains a significant milestone in packaging technology. This innovation – and its variants such as the radial field diaphragm (RFD) – are still unique in how they apply electric fields to piezoelectric ceramic materials. There may be additional variants yet to be explored. While we were not the first to envision the concept, but we were the first to develop a manufacturing method that made these devices highly durable, extremely reliable, and suitable for commercial use. The production methodology enabled the MFC-based actuators to enter the marketplace as a cost-competitive and dependable technology.
What was the collaboration with Smart Material like at the time?
The collaboration was excellent. Smart material was one of the few companies that actively worked with us – not just as observers, but as true partners – eager to learn our manufacturing and supply methodology. This hands-on cooperation enabled Smart Material to accelerate time-to-market, reduce manufacturing risks and costs, and ensure that their team was well-prepared without any “hidden surprises.”
Where do you see the greatest potential applications for MFCs today?
The two main areas with strong potential: active structural damping and health monitoring.
For active structural damping, MFCs are particularly valuable in free-floating structures, such as those used in space, or in precision instruments like electronic microscopes and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, where vibration control at the nano-scale is critical.
In health monitoring, MFCs can function as vibration sensors in rotating or oscillating equipment, detecting anomalies long before mechanical wear occurs. This is crucial for hard-to-reach or hazardous environments. A unique advantage is their ability to harvest their own electrical energy, eliminating the need for additional wiring. This self-generated power can be used for data telemetry for real-time health monitoring and system lifing thereby updating or eliminating maintenance schedules saving time and money.
Another, often overlooked, market potential is the health monitoring of wildlife and livestock. The MFC has successfully demonstrated long-term telemetry of fish in their wildlife habitats – extreme conditions that prove their durability. Such systems could help track animal activity, location, health, and injury, offering valuable data for ecological and agricultural monitoring. Quite useful for free range health monitoring of animals beyond searching for them with vehicles and drones only then assessing if something has happened or not.
And for piezo composites in general?
I will briefly discuss piezoceramics and polymers at a high level. As material scientists and engineers, we often say: “A new material must buy its way into an application.” What this means is that it is difficult to replace an existing technology because the potential customers may not realize they actually have a need for it. To put it another way, if you have never seen an apple, you will never ask for apple pie.
In piezo materials, there are two basic types: low compliance, high force ceramics, and high compliance, low force polymers. Generally, ceramics make better actuators, while polymers excel as sensor. Rather than get into nuances, it is the integration and packaging of these materials that allow them to not only cross into applications dominated by traditional hardware, but provide advantages that can replace existing technologies by replacing the auxiliary systems required for their support.
When a new technology “buys its way in”, the initial price might be high, but the long-term cost is low—that’s the case for piezoelectric systems. I feel that we have only scratched the surface for what is possible. Unfortunately most funding and and commercial focus have targeted a narrow set of applications, many other potential uses remain unexplored. It takes a generation for a new material concept to become established in industry. The current obstacle facing piezo-materials is the dedicated microelectronic support systems that can fully leverage the efficiency of the devices created using these materials.
What are your hopes for the collaboration between NASA and Smart Material?
For space applications – including those led by NASA, ESA, and other spacefaring organizations – I hope that as we as a species continue our progression into space with ever-increasing sophisticated instrumentation as will be required.
In previous mission collaborations with Smart Material, NASA demonstrated that piezoelectric systems offer a high-performance, reliable, low-risk solutions in the remote complex environment of space. Meeting this challenges will close collaboration with specialized manufacturers of such systems like Smart Material, who provide unique actuation, sensing and electronic support required to meet and surpass mission objectives.
You hold numerous patents and plan to use them to establish new companies in Germany and Europe. Can you reveal what these are about yet?
We hope to reduce the time, training and cost of entry into the production of material-based equipment for the production of advanced composites, films, laminates, coatings and other highly sophisticated material-based products. We are not focusing on providing the products, but enabling others to create new, innovative materials or to enhance existing ones. In short, we want to empower innovation by making the tools and know-how accessible. Stay tuned!
