Magneto-Photochemically\nResponsive Liquid Crystal\nElastomer for Underwater Actuation

The quest for small-scale, remotely controlled soft robots\nhas\nled to the exploration of magnetic and optical fields for inducing\nshape morphing in soft materials. Magnetic stimulus excels when navigation\nin confined or optically opaque environments is required. Optical\nstimulus, in turn, boasts superior spatial precision and individual\ncontrol over multiple objects. Herein, we bring these two methodologies\ntogether and present a monolithic liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) system\nthat synergistically combines magnetic and photochemical actuation\nschemes. The resultant composite material showcases versatile possibilities\nfor underwater actuation, and we demonstrate robotic functionalities\nwhere the optical and magnetic response can be leveraged in different\ntasks (object gripping and object translocation, respectively) or\nwhere light can be used as a control signal to tune the magnetically\ninduced actuation. Combining these two remote actuation methods offers\npowerful, dual-mode control in wireless, small-scale robotics, especially\nin\nsubmersed environments due to their isothermal nature.