Yukun Ge

Yukun Ge is a dual-degree master student in Innovative Design Engineering at Imperial College London and Royal College of Art. In 2020, he graduated from Beijing University of Technology with a major in Industrial Design, and went to the University of Nottingham as an exchange student in Human-Computer Interaction.

Yukun's main research interests are origami robotics, soft robotics and bionic structures. In 2021, he joined the Morph Lab of Dyson School of Design and Engineering, and his main research directions are origami robots and tactile sensors.

In February 2022, his research "Origami Inspired Design for Capsule Endoscope to Retrograde Using Intestinal Peristalsis" was published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Volume 7, Issue 2 and at the 2022 IEEE 5th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), April 4-8, Edinburgh.

40 per cent of the worldwide population suffers from chronic gastrointestinal problems. Endoscopy is currently the most effective screening method for gastrointestinal diseases such as colorectal cancer, polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. Emerging capsule endoscopy can examine organs such as the small intestine that are difficult to access with traditional endoscopes. And compared to traditional endoscopy, capsule endoscopy is painless, less risky, and less expensive. 

However, because the capsule endoscope is very small, the battery capacity is limited, there is no propulsion system and cannot be controlled. This results in a single function and a high rate of missed lesions. 

To solve this problem. ORCA was designed, which is a capsule endoscope with a special origami structure. When the origami structure is folded, the capsule endoscope is propelled forward by intestinal peristalsis. When the origami structure is unfolded, the intestinal peristalsis squeezes the origami structure to drive the capsule endoscope to move in the opposite direction. 

It moves passively by peristalsis of the intestines, so it consumes no electricity while moving. Only when the direction of movement needs to be changed, a micro-motor is needed to compress or stretch the origami structure, which consumes very little energy. 

Because ORCA is a controllable capsule, doctors can move it anywhere, so missed diagnoses can be avoided. It also provides the possibility for small bowel biopsy and drug delivery.