3D-printed low-voltage-driven ciliary hydrogel microactuators

Abstract Micrometre-sized, densely packed natural cilia that perform non-reciprocal 3D motions with dynamically tunable collective patterns are crucial for biological processes such as microscale locomotion 1 , nutrient acquisition 2 , cell trafficking 3–5 and embryonic and neurological development 6–8 . However, replicating these motions in artificial systems remains challenging given the limits of scalable, locally controllable soft-bodied actuation at the micrometre scale. Overcoming this challenge would enhance our understanding of ciliary dynamics, clarify their biological importance and enable new microscale devices and bioinspired technologies. Here we show a previously unrecognized fast electrical…