Symmetry/Asymmetry in Design and Control of Robotic Systems
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering and Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 35
Special Issue Editors
Interests: complex system dynamics; intelligent control; reinforcement learning; deep learning; robotics; AI
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: predictive control; self-obstruction control; aircraft guidance and control and nonlinear optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Symmetry and asymmetry are fundamental concepts that influence the design and control of robotic systems. Symmetry often brings elegance, simplicity, and predictable behavior to mechanical design, as seen in balanced actuators, parallel manipulators, or evenly distributed sensor layouts. However, real-world constraints such as manufacturing imperfections, material inconsistencies, environmental disturbances, and nonlinear dynamics inevitably introduce asymmetries. These asymmetries can degrade performance, cause instability, or demand additional energy to maintain system reliability.
To address these challenges, advanced control strategies must account for both the advantages of symmetric design and the inevitable impact of asymmetry. Whether it is compensating for structural deviations, developing robust algorithms for uncertain environments, or leveraging deliberate asymmetry for improved functionality, this field remains rich with open questions.
For this Special Issue, “Symmetry/Asymmetry in Design and Control of Robotic Systems”, we invite original research and comprehensive survey papers that explore theoretical advances, design methodologies, algorithmic innovations, and practical applications in this emerging area. Our aim is to highlight how symmetry principles can be exploited or adapted and how asymmetry can be mitigated—or even harnessed—to enhance robotic performance.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Jin Tao
Prof. Dr. Mingwei Sun
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- symmetric and asymmetric robotic design
- robotics control and automation
- robust and adaptive control
- fault-tolerant control systems
- energy-efficient control algorithms
- nonlinear dynamics in robotic systems
- applications in aerial, space, maritime, and micro-robotics industries
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
