Self-contained capsubot propulsion mechanism

Abstract

In this paper, a self contained capsubot (capsule robot) propulsion mechanism is investigated. The proposed capsubot works on the principle of internal force-static friction. A modified linear DC motor is used to drive the capsubot. A novel acceleration profile is proposed for the moving part (linear cylinder) based on the principle. A significant feature of the proposed capsubot is that it is legless, wheelless, and trackless. The developed capsubot with a proposed propulsion mechanism demonstrates a very good average velocity. The propulsion mechanism has the potential to be used for the propulsion of a wireless-controlled self-propelling capsule endoscope. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the performance of the self-contained capsubot with the proposed acceleration profile. © 2011 Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.