TITLE:
Research Paper on the Design and Motion Control of Bionic Mechanical Insects
AUTHORS:
Yingxin Zhang, Yuxuan Zhang, Meiqi Yin
KEYWORDS:
Bionic Mechanical Insects, Structural Design, Flexible Actuation, Motion Control, Deep Learning
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
21,
2026
ABSTRACT: In the field of micro-robotics, biomimetic robotic insects, with their miniaturized size, high-efficiency locomotion, and strong environmental adaptability, hold irreplaceable value in critical applications such as disaster search and rescue, precision equipment inspection, and military reconnaissance. Current research on biomimetic robotic insects commonly faces core challenges, including insufficient efficiency in miniaturized actuation, poor stability of movement in complex environments, and imbalances between control precision and computational capacity. This paper takes the cockroach as a biological prototype and systematically conducts research on the design and motion control of biomimetic robotic insects. The core research content includes: modeling the motion characteristics of the biological prototype, lightweight structural design and optimization, development of a novel actuation system, and the design of intelligent motion control strategies. Employing a combined research methodology of high-speed video motion capture, finite element analysis, simulation modeling, and physical testing, this study innovatively designs a micro-actuation system based on flexible hinge transmission and proposes a lightweight control architecture integrating model predictive control with deep learning. Prototype test results demonstrate that the designed biomimetic robotic insect, with a body length of 2 cm and a weight of 1.8 g, achieves off-line crawling at a speed of 35 cm per second, maintains stable movement while carrying five times its own body weight, and possesses the capability to traverse complex obstacle environments. The research outcomes provide an effective technical solution for enhancing the locomotion performance and environmental adaptability of micro biomimetic robots, holding significant theoretical reference and engineering application value.Subject AreasMechanical Engineering