The Origami Robot

Fig 1:  The Origami Robot in it's Unfolded Form.

Fig 2:  The Origami Robot in a simulated stomach removing a battery.

A new invention is on its way again from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). some group of researchers from MIT have again designed and built a new Robot that can be ingested that will someday be used medically to deliver medicine, patch internal wounds, or even remove unwanted swallowed objects from ones stomach.

How The Origami Robot Works

The design of the Origami Robot basically consists of a specially folded piece of dried pig intestine (e.g like the one used in sausage casing)  with a tiny piece of magnet. when folded up, assumes a shape of a capsule which can then be swallowed by a patient. It then travels down the throat, and when it enters the stomach, it then unfolds itself in the acidic juice of the stomach, where it can be guided to perform and complete certain tasks using external magnets (i.e in a magnetic field).

The invention is showing a promising progress as it is developed, but its creators think it will offers a model for the future. The director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and co-creator of bot, Daniela Rus said it could be very useful in healthcare and health sector one day.

Rus said that the next phase of the invention is to "add sensors to the robot and redesign it so that it is able to control itself without the need of an external magnetic field."

Click here to watch the video of the Origami Robot

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