Electrorheological(ER) fluid is an electrical response intelligent material composed of micro/nano dielectric particles dispersed in insulating oil. In the past 70 years since the discovery of ER fluids, a great variety of ER fluids have emerged, but its application in practical industries have been restricted due to problems in mechanical properties, sedimentation properties, redispersibility, zero field viscosity and current density. The emergence of giant electrorheological (GER) fluids has promoted the development of ER fluids to a certain extent, but there are still some problems to be solved in realizing real industrialization. In this paper, recent research results are introduced from three aspects: dispersed phase, continuous phase and additive.The four types of representative particles appearing recently are highlighted. The application direction and prospect, as well as the research status and future development direction of ER fluid are briefly summarized.