@rowancheung: MIT engineers have built a soft robot designed to crawl through the small intestine. Inspired by snakes, it uses inflatable chambers to bend and stretch, while tiny scales grip the slippery intestinal lining. Those scales pop up from sleeves patterned using kirigami, a Japanese paper-cutting technique. In pig experiments, the robot traveled roughly six and a half feet in eleven minutes with gentle pushing from researchers. It also captured images, collected tissue samples, and delivered colored fluid. Human testing is still needed, but the technology could eventually help doctors investigate intestinal disorders and deliver treatment directly where it’s needed most. Study: “Bioinspired soft enteroscopic robot for intestinal locomotion, steering, and intervention” DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adt2230

Rowan Cheung

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Thursday 12 November 2026 17:00:00 GMT