New generations of chemical sensors require both innovative (evolutionary) engineering concepts and (revolutionary) breakthroughs in the fundamental materials chemistry, such as the emergence of new types of stimuli responsive materials. In recent years, intensive research in those fields has brought interesting new concepts and designs for microfluidic flow control and sample handling that integrate high-quality engineering with new materials. In this article, we review the recent developments in this fascinating area of science, with particular emphasis on photoswitchable soft actuators and their incorporation into fluidic devices that are increasingly biomimetic in nature.