Prometheus 6

Slime-riding strategy developed for intestinal robot
18:43 22 September 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Tom Simonite

A snail-inspired robot could ride gut mucus (Image: Dimitra Dodou)AdvertisementA robot that glides along a layer of mucus inside the human intestine could make medical examinations like colonoscopies less painful for patients, say Dutch scientists. They are working on a snail-inspired robot that should be far gentler on the gut's delicate lining.

Several research groups around the world are working on robots that can remotely explore the intestine but most of these use using tiny legs to pull themselves along (see Worm-inspired robot crawls through intestines).

"The legs of those devices need to exert pressure to grip the slippery intestine," explains Dimitra Dodou, from Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands. "We think our approach can reduce the risk of damaging the gut or causing pain because the pressure can be spread over a larger area."