A survey on underactuated robotic systems:bio-inspiration, trajectory planning and control

Underactuated robotic systems have become an important research topic aiming at significant improvement of the behavioural performance and energy efficiency. Adopting some bio-inspired ideas and properties, the self-organisation and main tasks of the robotic systems can be achieved by coordination of the subsystems and dynamic interaction with the environment. Conversely, biological systems achieve energy-efficient and adaptive behaviours through extensive autologous and exogenous compliant interactions. The "trick" that give rise to the lifelike movements is an appropriate application of the bio-inspired ideas and properties, and construction of control systems in a generally underactuated system. In this paper, we aim to strengthen the links between two research communities of robotics and control by presenting a systematic survey work in underactuated robotic systems, in which both key challenges and notable successes in bio-inspiration, trajectory planning and control are highlighted and discussed. One particular emphasis of this article lies on the illustration of roles of bio-inspired properties, control algorithms and prior knowledge in achieving these successes and specifically, how they contribute to the taming of the complexity of the linked domains. We demonstrate how bio-inspiration and control methods may be profitably applied, and we also note throughout open questions and the tremendous potential for future research.