  A propagating "beam" triggering a local phase transition in a nematic
elastomer sets it into a crawling motion, which may morph due to buckling. We
consider the motion of the various configurations of slender rods and thin
stripes with both uniform and splayed nematic order in cross-section, and
detect the dependence of the gait and speed on flexural rigidity and substrate
friction.

Biological Physics;Soft Condensed Matter