C. elegans-inspired undulatory motion in a light-driven liquid crystal elastomer fiber

Area of Science:

• Soft robotics
• Biomimetic locomotion
• Liquid crystal elastomers

Background:

• Undulatory movement is common in nature, but difficult to replicate in miniature soft actuators for underwater applications.
• Soft actuators are crucial for efficient locomotion control and navigation in fluid environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a light-controlled soft actuator capable of undulatory motion inspired by *C. elegans*.
• To achieve millimeter-scale underwater locomotion using liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized sequential excitation of four laser beams to induce bimorphic actuation in an LCE fiber.
• Introduced a 45-degree phase delay between deformation phases for controlled undulation.
• Modulated laser power for directional steering and tuned fiber length for amplitude control.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated stable figure-eight-like trajectories in water.
• Achieved programmable directional steering through laser power modulation.
• Showcased length-dependent actuation performance for amplitude tuning.

Conclusions:

• Successfully realized light-controlled undulatory motion in a millimeter-scale LCE fiber actuator.
• The developed actuator offers programmable control and tunable performance for underwater soft robotics applications.