ABSTRACT
Locomotion Definition Locomotion is the act of self-propulsion of the system in which entire, or most of, the system translates-that is, moves,—in space. Locomotion is the defining characteristic of motive robotics systems which generate forces to produce self-propulsion. These are commonly referred to as mobile robots. Locomotion of biological systems is the act of self-propulsion of living organisms and is present even at the level of a single cell; the building block of life. Biological locomotion is not just macro-activity associated with animals. Plants can also move substantially in a self-propelled fashion. Some plant seeds shoot like tiny missiles and others drill themselves into the soil. Moreover, locomotion takes place even at the level of individual cell. Some cells swim using a flagellum, which is a lash-like appendage that protrudes from the cell body of certain prokaryotic (lack a nucleus) and eukaryotic (have a nucleus) cells.1 1An example of a prokaryotic flagellate bacterium is the ulcer-causing Helicobacter pylori with helical filaments, each with a bidirectional rotary motor at its base. An example of a eukaryotic flagellate cell is the mammalian sperm cell where the tail flagellates and propels the sperm cell, at about 1-3 mm/min in humans, by whipping in an elliptical cone.
