Smart Products & ICS Materials

In this chapter, we use the term smart with a slightly different meaning, this time not referred to smart materials, but to smart products that incorporate IT technologies. The objective of this chapter is twofold: first, we want to give an overview of the concept of product smartness and smart products, then we reflect on the relationship between smart product and ICS materials. While smart products are a product category that represents networked consumer electronics, the concept of product smartness is broader and defined by two main dimensions, one more technical, and the other more linked with user perception. This chapter is an opportunity to reflect on the role of ICS materials -materials that are advanced, interactive and technological - in the development and design of smart connected products. This arises important questions such as: do smart products embed smart materials and ICS materials? What are the limits and opportunities for their application? The considerations in this chapter come from the authors’ professional and academic research, which deals with the design of meaningful smart products and of conversational products, envisioning possible new opportunities and potential threats.