Magnetically Controlled Millipede Inspired Soft Robot for Releasing Drugs on Target Area in Stomach

In recent years, developing soft robots capable of conducting various in vivo clinical operations under remote wireless drive has emerged as a popular topic of research in the biomedical field. Although flexible and versatile soft robots have been developed, they can only be driven on certain surfaces, and the environments they can work under are limited. Inspired by multi-legged organisms, we develop a cordless, soft-bodied, millipede inspired soft robot that can be swallowed into stomach and driven by an external magnetic field to move to the target area for drug release. Unlike traditional permanent magnet drives, the movement form and speed of the robot could be controlled by adjusting the parameters of Helmholtz coils. Due to reduced contact area between the robot and the ground, the robot could move on wet slippery surfaces. In addition, the large surface area enhances the drug loading capacity. This study provides some reference for the combination of soft materials and cordless drives for the design and fabrication of soft robots, which will promote the application of magnetic-driven soft robots in the biomedical field.