Advances in light-activated shape memory polymer: A brief review

Light-activated shape memory materials are rapidly developing and widely utilized in various fields such as Micro light drive, biomedicine and space technology in the past few years since light stimulation offers greater accuracy and speed compared to other forms of stimulation. By manipulating the wavelength, intensity, direction, and other parameters of the incident light, intelligent control over light-activated materials can be achieved. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current research status in the field of intelligent light-activated shape memory materials. It systematically presents the corresponding mechanisms, performance characteristics, applications, advantages, and disadvantages of these materials to demonstrate their research progress. Furthermore, this paper briefly outlines future prospects for intelligent light-activated shape memory materials and analyzes potential directions for future development.