Originally Posted by
Litespud
So presumably you have to maintain the current to maintain the FD in a given position, and it reverts to the default position once the current is removed. So keeping the FD in one specific non-default position is potentially a significant drain on the battery. Sounds like a solution in search of a problem
When the electrical current passes through, the wires deform in a way that moves the cage outwards — shifting up a gear — and remains in place as the current subsides and the Nitinol cools down.
When it comes time to shift back down again, the current is once more applied, pushing the Nitinol over its ‘transformation temperature’, causing it to retract to its original position.
The way I read it is that the material isolates its position from a cooling off period after each electrical command.