Design and Experimental Evaluation of an Intelligent Intestinal Endoscopic Robot with Active Locomotion Capability

Conventional colonoscopy causes significant patient discomfort and its efficacy depends heavily on operator expertise. In this manuscript, a robotic colonoscope with autonomous navigation capability is developed to alleviate these limitations. Specifically, the robot employs a quadruple-track design for stable locomotion, a front-mounted monocular camera for real-time imaging, parallel coreless motors for efficient actuation, and a tethered connection for data transmission. In addition, a novel navigation algorithm based on minimum enclosing circle and contour ratio analysis is presented to process intestinal contour images to generate real-time motion control parameters. Experimental validation in simulated intestinal environments demonstrated stable linear motion (average speed $3.02 \mathrm{~cm} / \mathrm{s}$), precise steering control ($\pm \mathbf{3 0}^{\circ}$ range). The system’s high accuracy and robustness highlight its potential for clinical application, offering a promising alternative to conventional colonoscopy.