AME - Everting Toroidal Robot for Endoscopy
This project aims to develop a minimally invasive, everting toroidal robotic capsule for image-guided gastrointestinal endoscopy, effectively bridging the gap between passive capsule cameras and controllable endoscopic navigation. The goal of the research is to establish a controllable, localizable, and intervention-capable robotic platform that can actively navigate the delicate and tortuous gastrointestinal tract, reducing tissue shear while allowing clinicians to deliberately inspect, track, and revisit suspicious lesions.
To achieve this, the research utilizes a mix of advanced soft robotics fabrication, mechanical miniaturization, and electrical engineering techniques. Tasks include transitioning the mechanical drive from a bulky two-motor setup to a compact single-motor arrangement with passive rollers and a worm gear, embedding flexible magnetic tracking sensors for real-time 3D localization, and implementing wireless BLE communication from within the compliant membrane. Furthermore, the system will integrate 3D Slicer for pre-operative anatomical registration, progressing from benchtop silicone colon phantoms to live pre-clinical validation models.
Students will not be expected to participate in every phase of the project; instead, their involvement will be tailored to their individual capabilities and primarily focused on mechanical design, wireless communication, and experimental validation. Depending on their technical background, students may contribute to mechanical design by evaluating motor candidates, refining passive roller geometries, or optimizing the capsule's layout for miniaturization. On the electrical and software front, they can engage in developing wireless communication protocols, such as configuring BLE transmissions from within the membrane. Finally, students will play a crucial role in the experimental phase, setting up benchtop simulations with silicone colon phantoms and conducting trajectory control tests to validate the integrated robotic system.
The IRIS Lab is a highly dynamic place to work because we combine advanced soft robotics theory with a hands-on, "full-stack" approach to mechanical design, electronics, and experimental testing. Under the mentorship of Professor Margaret (Coad) McGuinness, students gain practical, cross-disciplinary experience within the supportive Notre Dame Robotics community. Our current research on the everting toroidal robotic capsule addresses an important clinical need by developing a localizable and safe device that can navigate the gastrointestinal tract without causing tissue shear. Alongside this gastrointestinal capsule project, the lab runs several other active research tracks, including vine-inspired growing robots for navigating extreme environments, optical fiber shape sensing for soft bodies, and wearable assistive exosuits for patient rehabilitation. Joining our group offers students the opportunity to apply engineering fundamentals directly to robotic systems that improve human health and safety.