Soft robotic endoscopy
A soft, growing robot that gently turns the tightest bends of the colon — navigating passively, without rigid steering or added mechanical complexity.
Get early updatesThe technology
Eversion robots extend by turning inside-out from the tip, advancing without dragging against delicate tissue. The body stays soft and compliant — following the path of least resistance instead of forcing its way through.
A thin-walled, pressurised body that conforms to anatomy rather than pushing against it.
Tip-growing motion means near-zero friction with the surrounding lumen as it advances.
Navigation comes from the structure itself — not motors, cables, or pneumatic muscles.
How it works
We place inextensible, diameter-reducing bands at intervals along the robot wall. Each band introduces a controlled buckling point — a soft hinge that lets the robot fold smoothly around sharp turns while the rest of the body stays supported and stable.
The behaviour is captured by a Cosserat-rod model, quantifying exactly how local stiffness drops translate into reliable, passive navigation through tortuous, obstacle-cluttered paths.
Validated results