Design of an Embedded Leg Capsule Robot

The capsule robot enters the patient’s intestinal system directly by swallowing and takes continuous images using the miniature camera unit it carries, but during its travel, its own gravity and the peristaltic movement of the intestine make the physician limited in obtaining images of the intestine and making a diagnosis. In order to solve this problem, a capsule endoscope with an embedded leg mechanism is proposed. Compared to commercially available capsule robot. This capsule robot can easily move through the intestine autonomously by means of the relationship between the leg, the screw nut and the linkage, enabling forward, backward and stationary functions. The capsule robot has a diameter of 14 mm, a length of 30 mm and a maximum diameter of 26.66 mm with the legs spread out. The hollow space is allocated to include basic endoscopic components such as a miniature camera and a rotating motor. A series of tests, including in vitro tests, were carried out to test the feasibility of the leg mechanism of this capsule robot. Based on the results of the experiments, the proposed leg mechanism can effectively act on the Micro-capsule endoscope, and is able to move effectively through the intestine.