Exemplary embodiments are directed to thermally driven actuator systems including a thermally driven element and one or more heating elements coupled to and in thermal contact with the thermally driven element. The thermally driven element can be capable of being selectively reconfigured in shape based on a thermal strain or temperature driven phase change. The one or more heating elements can be configured to selectively and independently apply heat to one or more of a plurality of different regions of the thermally driven element to selectively raise a temperature or temperatures of the selected region or regions of the thermally driven element to selectively reconfigure the shape of the thermally driven element.