Locomotion-Inspired Robotics: Structural Principles, Force Transmission, and Hydrodynamic Trends

Yujie Shen

doi:10.54097/dmx1nq08

Authors

Yujie Shen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/dmx1nq08

Keywords:

Bio-inspired Robotics; Locomotion Mechanisms; Soft Actuation; Smart Materials; Hydrodynamic Optimization.

Abstract

Robotics has advanced rapidly across diverse fields, including medicine, industrial manufacturing, and exploration. Yet modern robots still struggle with challenges of movement efficiency, adaptability, and stability in complex environments. Bio-inspired locomotion provides a promising approach to overcoming these limitations by drawing on the structural and functional mechanisms evolved in nature. This paper reviews the structural principles, force transmission mechanisms, and hydrodynamic adaptations found in bio-inspired robots. It explores how biological inspirations—such as the fin movement of fish, the wing flapping of birds, and the undulatory motion of snakes—inform robotic design and improve energy efficiency, flexibility, and terrain adaptability. Key enabling technologies, including soft actuation, innovative materials, and bio-mimetic structural frameworks, are discussed in detail, highlighting their role in achieving compliant motion and enhanced environmental interaction. Additionally, the paper presents applications of locomotion-inspired robotics in medical rehabilitation, search and rescue, and planetary exploration. By integrating principles of biology with modern materials and intelligent control systems, bio-inspired robotics is expected to promote greater autonomy, efficiency, and sustainability. Future research will focus on hybrid systems combining living tissues and artificial materials, multi-material fabrication, and advanced neural control for adaptive and intelligent motion.

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