Abstract: A material-actuated door includes a door housing including a flexible material; and one or more least one Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators embedded in the door housing. Each SMA actuator is elastically biased in a first actuator physical state and is configured to transition into a second actuator physical state in response to receiving electrical current. The material-actuated door is transitioned into a first door position in response to disconnecting the electrical current to the at least one SMA actuator, and is transitioned into a second door position in response to delivering the electrical current to the at least one SMA actuator.

Abstract: A system in a fixed-wing aircraft includes inflatable buoyant bags. Each of the inflatable buoyant bags is arranged to conformally cover a corresponding pylon attachment of the fixed-wing aircraft in a deflated state. The system also includes a tank storing pressurized gas and a controller to control inflow of the pressurized gas from the tank into the inflatable buoyant bags to increase buoyancy of the fixed-wing aircraft and to control outflow of the pressurized gas out of the inflatable buoyant bags to decrease buoyancy of the fixed-wing aircraft.

Abstract: A pump-less buoyancy engine for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) includes a buoyancy reduction structure without a hydraulic pump for reducing the buoyancy of the AUV to cause the AUV to descend in the water; and a weight dropping structure for dropping prepackaged weights out of the AUV to cause the AUV to ascend in the water, where the AUV moves forward when descending and ascending.

Abstract: A pump-less buoyancy engine for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) includes a buoyancy reduction structure without a hydraulic pump for reducing the buoyancy of the AUV to cause the AUV to descend in the water; and a weight dropping structure for dropping prepackaged weights out of the AUV to cause the AUV to ascend in the water, where the AUV moves forward when descending and ascending.