Design of a Pill-Sized 12-legged Endoscopic Capsule Robot

Abstract

In this paper we present the design of a swallowable (11mm diameter by 25mm long), 12-legged endoscopic capsule for locomotion in the lower gastro intestinal tract (large bowel). A novel slot-follower mechanism driven via lead-screw allows the capsule to be as small as current commercial pill-cameras, while simultaneously generating 2/3 N of force at each leg tip. Kinematic and static analyses of the lead screw and slot-follower mechanisms allow optimization of design parameters so that the capsule satisfies experimental and clinical design requirements for legged locomotion in the GI tract.