Magnetically-Actuated Endoluminal Soft Robot With Electroactive Polymer Actuation for Enhanced Gait Performance

Endoluminal devices are indispensable in medical procedures in the natural lumina of the body, such as the circulatory system and gastrointestinal tract. In current clinical practice, there is a need for increased control and capabilities of endoluminal devices with less discomfort and risk to the patient. This paper describes the detailed modeling and experimental validation of a magneto-electroactive endoluminal soft (MEESo) robot concept that combines magnetic and electroactive polymer (EAP) actuation to improve the utility of the device. The proposed capsule-like device comprises two permanent magnets with alternating polarity connected by a soft, low-power ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) EAP body. A detailed model of the MEESo robot is developed to explore quantitatively the effects of dual magneto-electroactive actuation on the robot’s performance. It is shown that the robot’s gait is enhanced, during the magnetically-driven gait cycle, with IPMC body deformation. The concept is further validated by creating a physical prototype MEESo robot. Experimental results show that the robot’s performance increases up to 68% compared to no IPMC body actuation. These results strongly suggest that integrating EAP into the magnetically-driven system extends the efficacy for traversing tract environments.