Locomotion of Pulse-Driven Microcapsule Robot on Inclined Plane

Abstract

We have developed a microcapsule robot that has a smooth outer surface and is driven by inertia and friction forces. There are no protrusions to harm the soft tissue of the intestines. The microcapsule robot consists of the body mass and the inner mass. The motion of the inner mass is generated by an inducing coil. This paper describes the investigation and analysis of the microcapsule robot motion on an inclined plane. Displacement of the microcapsule robot was measured by a high-speed camera. The experimental results demonstrate that the microcapsule robot can move upwards on an inclined plane at a small angle between 0 and 15° and consumes only 4 volts. This device is advantageous for medical purposes such as drug delivery, disease diagnosis and teleoperated surgical robots.