A review on self-adaptive design elements
Abstract Adaptive systems in engineering adjust their properties in response to changing conditions such as load, temperature, or speed. Many existing implementations achieve adaptability through mechatronic systems incorporating actuators, sensors, and control systems, which often result in increased complexity, weight, and reduced robustness. To overcome these drawbacks, systems are increasingly explored that achieve adaptability solely through their structural design and material behavior. In this work, the term ‘self-adaptive’ is used for these systems to highlight that adaptation emerges inherently from the properties of the structural elements themselves, without any external control. This leads to simpler, lighter, and more robust solutions. This review focuses on the principles and applications of self-adaptive design and machine elements, such as bearings, seals, couplings, springs, dampers, housings, gears and shafts. A classification of design elements will be presented, along with an explanation of self-adaptivity principles. Additionally, an overview of the state of the art for specific design elements will be provided, followed by current and future research directions.
Authors
- Beate Bender (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2716-0819)
- Alexander Hasse (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6737-5152)
- Peter Welzbacher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9930-6322)
- Thao Baszenski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0978-0563)
- Eckhard Kirchner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7663-8073)
- Arthur Ewert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5317-1431)
- Thomas Wallmersperger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4720-5260)
- Berthold Schlecht (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1889-9822)
- Robert Liebich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6342-9785)
- Stefan Thielen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3310-7659)
- Benjamin Lehmann
- Christian Orgeldinger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8693-8838)
- Stephan Tremmel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1644-563X)
- Martin Petrich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3797-0734)
- Ulf Kletzin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5597-2865)
- Tobias Baumann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7480-7809)
- Tobias Rosnitschek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4876-2536)
- Stephanie Seltmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8852-8501)
- Shashivar Syla
- Till Budde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1969-3925)
- Anuj Khare
- Mattheus Lucassen
- Georg Jacobs
- Johannes Menning
- Oliver Koch
- Stefan Schumann
Institutions
- Technische Universität Ilmenau (DE)
- University of Kaiserslautern (DE)
- Chemnitz University of Technology (DE)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics (DE)
- Technische Universität Darmstadt (DE)
- Machine Science (US)
- Technische Universität Berlin (DE)
- University of Bayreuth (DE)
- University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern (DE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- RWTH Aachen University (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Engineering Research
- Published
- 2026-06-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10010-026-00948-w
- Primary Topic
- Vibration Control and Rheological Fluids
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Technische Universität Chemnitz