Stimuli-responsive polymers are able to change their properties in response to an external stimulus.These functional properties can be adjusted autonomously depending on the user needs or upon environmental changes.A special class of responsive polymers are light responsive soft actuators.Such type of materials based on soft matter are able to convert (sun)light,into motion and are interesting materials for a wide variety of low-cost applications including actuating elements for use in microfluidic devices,soft robotics,energy harvesting materials,responsive textiles,anti-fouling surfaces and cell growth.Liquid crystals and hydrogels have proven to be very useful building blocks in the development light-responsive materials.In my lecture,examples of azobenzene and spiropyran based polymer actuators will be presented that can be used as valves,responsive surface topographies and self-oscillating polymers films (Figure 1).