The shape memory effect is the property of certain materials to change their shape in response to temperature and return to their original state upon cooling. This effect is observed in shape memory metals, such as nitinol (an alloy of nickel and titanium).
Such materials are highly practical and are used in a wide variety of fields, including medicine, the aerospace industry, and electronics. Nitinol is widely used to create medical devices, such as stents and prostheses, that can be adapted to the shape of the human body. In the aerospace industry, nitinol is used to create lightweight and durable components for aircraft and rockets. In electronics, nitinol is used to manufacture temperature-sensitive elements that can change their properties depending on temperature.