Optimized Design and Analysis of Active Propeller-driven Capsule Endoscopic Robot for Gastric Examination

Capsule endoscopic robot holds great promise for the early diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases without causing discomfort to patients. However, currently available active capsule endoscopic robots suffer from issues such as complex structure, poor mobility, large size, and high cost, which have hindered their widespread adoption and resulted in a lower screening rate for gastrointestinal diseases. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a highly integrated propeller-driven capsule endoscopic robot (PCER) system that integrates STM32 processor, magnetic sensor, IMU, RF communication unit, and motor drive. The micro propeller of the PCER has been analyzed through finite element simulation to ensure its efficiency. FLUENT software has been utilized to simulate the fluid force acting on the PCER as it moves through a liquid medium. The results of the simulation are then used to determine the optimal pitch angle for the robot's movement. The thrust generated by the capsule robot propellers has been measured using a lever mechanism to investigate the relationship between the thrust and voltage applied to the motors. The experiments confirmed that the PCER is capable of performing flexible motions within fluid environments, such as changing pitch angle during movement, passing circular obstacles, horizontal motion, and spiral ascent. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed PCER as an effective tool for non-invasive early screening of gastrointestinal diseases.