Phototunable Nonreciprocal Cilia‐Like Self‐Oscillator

ABSTRACT Natural cilia generate non‐reciprocal beating through coordinated deformation and recovery, enabling sensing, propulsion, transport, and feeding. Synthetic cilia‐like actuators have been widely explored, yet combining self‐sustained oscillation, non‐reciprocal motion, multimode tunability, and adaptive behavior in fluidic environments remains a daunting challenge. Here we report a phototunable nonreciprocal cilia‐like self‐oscillator (PNCSO) that address this challenge. PNCSOs are based on light‐driven high‐degree‐of‐freedom deformation of self‐winding liquid crystal elastomer fibers, which can generate multiple non‐reciprocal oscillation modes through coupled 3D deformation and dynamic stiffness modulation. PNCSOs enable real‐time tuning of oscillatory motion through multiple optical inputs. Interestingly, two adjacent PNCSOs can communicate with each other, and give rise to synchronized, collective motion through compliant coupling. In addition, their self‐sustained non‐reciprocal oscillation enables active manipulation of small objects in viscous aqueous environments. This work establishes an effective strategy for constructing adaptive and functional artificial ciliary systems for soft robotic and future microfluidic applications.