Taxonomy of Two Dimensional Bio-Inspired Locomotion Systems

This paper introduces a new approach to characterize the locomotion of self-assembling modular systems. By establishing the necessary components for a locomotive modules and a hierarchy of locomotive systems, further research can be done into each category. The systems are broken into three primary groups: limbed, limbless, and rolling. The majority of the variations exist within the legged domain, and hence the largest area of study rests there. This study contributes to the literature inasmuch as creating a hierarchical framework that can be used for the creation of algorithms for self-assembling micro and nano robots for drug delivery and surgery.