Abstract Traditional mechanical oscillators powered by electromagnetic motors and microcontroller-based control circuits are indispensable in modern automated manufacturing and high-end equipment. However, their performance often deteriorates in special environments, such as strong electromagnetic fields, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, underwater conditions, or in vivo applications. To address these limitations, this study presents an electrically driven intelligent mechanical oscillator that integrates liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) within a bistable structure, achieving autonomous oscillation through a simple mechanical feedback mechanism. In this architecture, the oscillatory motion of a central rocker is driven by the alternating activation of bilateral LCE actuators, with its bistable equilibrium maintained by the pre-curved beams. Angular displacement at the rocker’s opposite end engages a slide switch that sequentially actuates the LCE actuators, thereby sustaining a continuous oscillatory cycle. Regulated entirely by the intrinsic coupling between LCE actuation and bistable energy release, the oscillator demonstrates autonomous and continuous oscillations without any active electronic control systems. Furthermore, spatiotemporal coordination and synchronous/asynchronous motion among multiple oscillators can also be achieved by modifying the wiring layouts, laying the foundation for mechanically intelligent systems capable of collective collaboration.
Liu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.