Designing Self-Oscillating Matter

Self-oscillating matter offers unique opportunities for compact and low maintenance autonomous systems. A new versatile approach to attain sustained self-oscillations with simple design and tunable frequency and amplitude is reported by programmable periodic swelling-deswelling-induced mechanical instability phenomena. The study opens new opportunities for autonomously oscillating materials and their applications, such as smart mixing/separation and transport of fluids and particles, adaptive reconfigurable systems, and self-propelled locomotion.