Novel structures fabricated by additive manufacturing and soft robotic actuator designs show promise in aerospace development. These structures and actuators can provide a lightweight alternative to the current solutions and can be tailored to enhance specific properties. This work focuses on the development of printed sandwich core structures and thermally activated surfaces through the characterization and improvements of existing designs. Octet unit cells are 3D printed in the form of a lattice and functionally graded to evaluate during quasi-static compression. The vertical grading is achieved through specific variations in structure and materials to improve energy absorption capabilities. This study is followed by an investigation of the bending deformation of various designs of electrothermal actuators. A series of characterization tests are conducted to reveal the relationship between actuator dimensions, constraints, heating time, and conductive layer thickness to the maximum deflection. A novel actuator array is demonstrated using these findings.