A finite element simulation was introduced to assess the temperature homogeneity and maximum allowable actuating pressure in the hydrogel-based thermal actuator.

The actuator’s response time could be improved by scaling down the dimension of the cavity and utilizing hydrogel microparticles.

The actuator’s actuating pressure could be enhanced by heightening the filling percentage of hydrogel in the cavity.

The fixed actuating pressure-response time trade-off should be carefully considered in the actuator design.