Researchers created a single-material, single-stimulus microstructure that can outmaneuver even biological cilia. These programmable, micron-scale structures might be used for a variety of applications, including soft robotics, biocompatible medical devices, and even dynamic information encryption. For years, scientists have been striving to create small, artificial cilia for minuscule robotic systems capable of performing complex actions such as bending, twisting, and reversing. Building these smaller-than-a-human-hair microstructures often requires multi-step production techniques and varied stimuli to induce the intricate movements, limiting their wide-scale uses. Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) researchers have built a single-material, single-stimulus microstructure