When were smart materials first developed?

Smart materials were first developed in the late 20th century, with significant advancements occurring in the 1960s and 1970s. Notably, shape memory alloys, one of the earliest types of smart materials, were discovered in 1963 by William J. Buehler and his team at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory. Since then, research and development in smart materials have expanded, leading to various applications in fields like engineering, medicine, and consumer electronics.