Illustration of how the micrometer-scale hydrogel actuators work (IMAGE)

Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Illustration of how the micrometer-scale hydrogel actuators work

Caption

Figure 1: an illustration of how the micrometer-scale hydrogel actuators work.
a. When an external electric field is applied, water inside the soft hydrogel moves through its internal network, causing the material to bend. Using this mechanism, researchers can create large arrays of tiny, hair-like structures called microcilia.

b. These microcilia arrays can be built on a flexible surface that integrates microscopic electrodes, allowing precise electrical control of their movement.

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