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Symmetry
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Symmetry and Asymmetry in Dynamics and Control of Biomimetic Robots
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Symmetry and Asymmetry in Dynamics and Control of Biomimetic Robots

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering and Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 3470

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Huan Shen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Lab of Locomotion Bioinspiration and Intelligent Robots, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
Interests: aerodynamics; swarm robotics; control strategy; intelligent material; actuation control; multi-modal perception; bio-inspired structure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jiajun Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Interests: wearable robotics; biomimetic robotics; medical robotics; human–robot interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guodong Qin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Hefei 230031, China
Interests: remote handling; heavy-duty arm; end toolbox; intelligent control; bionic robots; snake robots; digital twins; dynamic control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the study of biomimetic robotics, dynamics and control play a fundamental role in replicating the sophisticated movements of natural organisms. These robots often mimic the locomotion of animals, requiring a deep understanding of the interaction between mechanical structures and their surrounding environment, such as air or water. A critical aspect of this research lies in addressing symmetry and asymmetry in their dynamic and control systems. Symmetry, commonly observed in the design of flapping-wing robots or bipedal walkers, simplifies control strategies by assuming balanced movements across bilateral structures, thereby reducing computational complexity and enabling efficient system stabilization. However, in practical scenarios, asymmetry frequently arises due to design imperfections, environmental disturbances, or intentional control strategies tailored for specific tasks. For instance, in robots inspired by insects or birds, asymmetrical wing motions may enhance maneuverability or optimize energy efficiency. Accurately capturing and addressing these asymmetries in dynamic models and control algorithms is vital for achieving realistic and robust performance, particularly in complex and unpredictable environments. This research underscores the importance of balancing the influence of symmetry and asymmetry to develop advanced biomimetic robots capable of adaptive and efficient operation.

Dr. Huan Shen
Dr. Jiajun Xu
Dr. Guodong Qin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomimetic robotics
  • bioinspired structure
  • flexible actuation
  • intelligent control
  • symmetry in robotics
  • asymmetry motion modeling

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2815 KB  
Article
The Influence of Machining Deformation on the Pointing Accuracy of Pod-Type Space Self-Deployable Structures
by Benhua Zhao, Shiyu Zhu, Bin Zhang, Ning Huang, Bin Wu, Xiaoyu Shen, Rongjun Li, Xin Liu, Jing Yang, Yongli Wang and Huicheng Geng
Symmetry 2026, 18(1), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18010196 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 312
Abstract
As key driving and supporting components of spacecraft, pod-type space self-deployable structures have terminal pointing accuracy that directly affects overall spacecraft performance. To clarify the influence of the structure’s machining deformation on its pointing accuracy, this study focuses on two key processes, namely [...] Read more.
As key driving and supporting components of spacecraft, pod-type space self-deployable structures have terminal pointing accuracy that directly affects overall spacecraft performance. To clarify the influence of the structure’s machining deformation on its pointing accuracy, this study focuses on two key processes, namely laser welding and hot forming. Based on the bionic symmetric structural characteristics of pod-type structures, a laser welding finite element model with a surface Gaussian heat source and a hot forming constitutive model coupled with creep aging were established. An orthogonal experimental design was adopted: for laser welding, three parameters, namely laser power, spot diameter, and welding speed, each with three levels, were selected, and an L9(33) orthogonal table was constructed to conduct nine groups of simulations; for hot forming, two parameters, namely processing temperature and holding time, each with three levels, were chosen, and nine groups of simulations were designed based on the first two columns of the L9(34) orthogonal table. The combined method of residual analysis and analysis of variance was used to quantitatively identify the influence of each process parameter on pointing accuracy. The results show that in laser welding, welding speed has the most significant impact on deformation, followed by laser power, and spot diameter has the least; in hot forming, processing temperature and holding time have similar effects on deformation. Physical machining verification was performed, and the actually measured deformations are 0.164 mm and 0.034 mm, which are close to the simulation results of 0.176 mm and 0.047 mm, meeting the index requirement that the terminal pointing deformation of a single pod structure is less than 0.2 mm. The results can provide a theoretical basis and engineering reference for the actual machining of such structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry and Asymmetry in Dynamics and Control of Biomimetic Robots)
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21 pages, 18140 KB  
Article
Effect of Formation Flight on Flight Endurance Performance of Solar-Powered UAV
by Cili Qiang and Zhijin Wang
Symmetry 2025, 17(11), 1997; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17111997 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 728
Abstract
Traditional solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs) universally adopt ultra-high aspect ratio designs to enhance aerodynamic efficiency, which unfortunately leads to significant issues such as reduced structural reliability and poor resistance to atmospheric disturbances. In contrast, SUAVs with low aspect ratios suffer from inferior [...] Read more.
Traditional solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs) universally adopt ultra-high aspect ratio designs to enhance aerodynamic efficiency, which unfortunately leads to significant issues such as reduced structural reliability and poor resistance to atmospheric disturbances. In contrast, SUAVs with low aspect ratios suffer from inferior aerodynamic efficiency, making it challenging to achieve long-endurance flight. This study addresses the endurance performance of low-aspect-ratio SUAVs by proposing and demonstrating a formation flight strategy to improve their cruise efficiency. To investigate the endurance characteristics of SUAVs, an energy model was established, encompassing solar cell power generation, battery energy storage, avionics, and propulsion systems. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and surrogate modeling techniques were employed to develop a proxy model correlating formation parameters with lift and drag characteristics. Using this surrogate model, the formation parameters were optimized to minimize cruise power consumption. Energy simulations were subsequently conducted for both solo and formation flight scenarios. The results indicate that the optimized formation configuration achieved a 15% increase in maximum lift-to-drag ratio. Energy simulation results indicate that the endurance performance of SUAVs under formation flight is enhanced by 92.7%, 43.3%, and 18.8% at latitudes of 45° N, 50° N, and 60° N, respectively. These findings confirm the feasibility of using formation flight to enable sustained operation for small SUAVs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry and Asymmetry in Dynamics and Control of Biomimetic Robots)
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25 pages, 7498 KB  
Article
Emulating Snake Locomotion: A Bioinspired Continuum Robot with Decoupled Symmetric Control
by Lin Li, Junqi Lyu, Youzhi Xu, Ke Sun, Shipeng Tu, Aihong Ji, Huan Shen and Xiaosong Bai
Symmetry 2025, 17(9), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17091450 - 4 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1812
Abstract
Inspired by the musculoskeletal structure of snakes, this study proposes a cable-driven continuum robotic system, comprising a dual-segment continuum arm and a linear feeding module. The continuum arm provides four joint degrees of freedom through coordinated cable actuation for snake-like bending, while the [...] Read more.
Inspired by the musculoskeletal structure of snakes, this study proposes a cable-driven continuum robotic system, comprising a dual-segment continuum arm and a linear feeding module. The continuum arm provides four joint degrees of freedom through coordinated cable actuation for snake-like bending, while the feeding module enables linear translation along the Z-axis, resulting in a total of five degrees of freedom. A constant-curvature kinematic model is developed, and a real-time inverse kinematics solution based on fifth-order Taylor expansion is proposed. To enhance postural stability, a master–slave teleoperation control framework is implemented that decouples translational motion from orientation control. Leveraging the geometric symmetry of its dual-segment design, the system achieves consistent end-effector orientation by coordinating bending angles and rotation directions between segments. Simulation and experimental results validate the accuracy of the kinematic model and demonstrate the robot’s capability for dexterous, stable movements in confined environments. The proposed continuum robot offers high positioning accuracy, structural adaptability, and strong potential for bioinspired applications in endoscopy and minimally invasive surgical procedures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry and Asymmetry in Dynamics and Control of Biomimetic Robots)
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