MIT engineers design snake-inspired soft robot to diagnose and treat small intestine disorders
New robotic enteroscope could make procedures faster and less labour-intensive
Engineers at MIT have created a soft robotic enteroscope that can inch through the narrow, hard-to-reach small intestine, enabling imaging, drug delivery, and biopsies of polyps or tissue samples. The device, described in a study published in Science Robotics, takes inspiration from snake locomotion and the textured scales that help snakes grip slippery surfaces.