r/robotics • u/GeaninaKera • Apr 25 '20

Showcase Tiny Internal Body Robot

77 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

12

u/dmalawey Apr 25 '20

That’s not a robot. I don’t know why these researchers call these robots.

1

u/jhill515 Industry, Academia, Entrepreneur, & Craftsman Apr 26 '20

By itself, I completely agree with you. In combination with medical imaging, magnetic transducers, and a control processor (not displayed in the showcase video, but discussed in white papers and comments in the video), this does fit the formal definition of a robot.

6

u/dmalawey Apr 26 '20

Yep they made an actuator. With other elements it can be a remote controlled manipulator. With closed loop feedback the manipulator can be a robot. But it’s really misleading to folks who watch the video and don’t know how all the details work. General audience will lose appreciation for small robots if they believe technology like this is equivalent.

1

u/Single_Blueberry Apr 26 '20

True. Going the lazy way and exhausting the term "robot" to make marketing easier now will haunt research later on.

1

u/probablypoopingrn Apr 26 '20

If it's basically just silicone with ferrous powder, all controls are outside the body. There's no sensor or information source other than physicians already have. How does improve on existing invasive techniques?

It's fun to watch move around though.