Fig. 1. （a）Side-chain LCE；（b）Main-chain LCE；（c）Mixed-type LCE；（d）Schematic diagram of the liquid crystal-isotropic phase transition in LCE.

Fig. 2. （a）Schematic of the preparation and deformation of AuNR/LCE thin film under NIR illumination^［33］；（b）MWNTs/LCE photothermally responsive thin film^［34］.

Fig. 3. LCE based on azobenzene photoisomerization response

Fig. 4. Photothermal and photoisomerization synergistic actuation mechanism，and reconfigurable microgrippers^［40］.

Fig. 5. （a）Catapult based on finger-snapping action^［43］；（b）Light-driven jumping based on the larval closed-loop structure^［44］.

Fig. 6. （a）Liquid crystal polymer film with controlled jump height and angle^［45］；（b）Bionic spring tail jumping LCE^［46］.

Fig. 7. （a）Fern sporangium catapult based on structural constraints^［49］；（b）Planar and V-shaped catapults^［50］.

Fig. 8. （a）Bistable-based liquid crystal polymer films.（a）Photoreversible fluxing of one-dimensional（1D）curved bistable strip^［52］；（b）Photoreversible waveform motion in constrained bistable strip^［53］；（c）Bistable strip with light illuminated realizing underwater walking motion^［54］.

Fig. 9. （a）LCE based on 1D beam bistable structure^［55］；（b）Flytrap light-driven LCE soft robot^［56］.

Fig. 10. Light-driven origami LCE soft actuators.（a）Light-driven elongation drive with large strain^［58］；（b）Miura-fold actuators^［59］；（c）Fold-neck lizard-based morphing and color change LCE soft actuators^［60］.

Fig. 11. Light-driven krigami multimodal morphing LCE soft actuators^［68］

Fig. 12. LCE soft actuators with patterned alignments.（a）Accordion shaped actuator^［69］；（b-d）Bionic flower shaped actuators^［70-72］.

Fig. 13. Adaptive morphing LCEs.（a）Artificial iris^［73］；（b）Bionic morphing of a trailing plant^［74］；（c）Bionic sunflower motion^［20］；（d）LCE morphing based on the structure of a Möbius loop^［75］.

Fig. 14. CLCE soft actuators.（a）Multimodal，instantaneous response CLCE actuators that can sense arbitrary complex in-plane morphing^［76］；（b）Force-driven，thermally deformed，and self-healable CLCE actuators^［77］；（c）CLCE actuators with both light-driven and photochromic performance^［78］；（d）NIR/temperature-modulated CLCE actuators^［79］.

Fig. 15. Structural light-field-modulated bionic（a~b）caterpillar motion^［80-81］ and（c）water strider water motion^［82］；（d）Polarized light-modulated bionic dog tail wagging^［83］.

Fig. 16. （a）Multimodal morphing motion of bionic inchworm^［19］；（b）Asymmetric morphing motion of bionic earthworm^［84］.