Flexures are used in precision engineering where highly accurate, wear-free, smooth and repeatable motion is desired. Flexures are based on deformation of material to achieve a motion between elastically joined parts.
Shape memory alloys (SMA) are an attractive option in designing flexures. Due to their superelastic properties, SMA flexures can withstand larger deformations for the same weight as a conventional flexure.

The study of the mechanical behaviour of linear guidings

based on the superelastic properties of Shape Memory Alloys was performed during my M.Sc. thesis in the laboratory of Prof. Clavel under the supervision of Y. Bellouard (2000).

Part of the experimental results can be found in the paper:
Y. Bellouard, R. Clavel, "Shape memory alloy flexures," Materials Science and Engineering A 378, pp. 210–215, 2004. doi: 10.1016/j.msea.2003.12.062