Programmable Pneumatic Actuator System for a Bioinspired Artificial Colon

ABSTRACT

Current intestinal training models typically exhibit rigid or static structures, limiting their usefulness for validating endoluminal robots and supporting realistic endoscopy training. A programmable pneumatic actuator system is presented in this paper, integrated within a modular soft robotic colon simulator that mimics physiological motility through distributed pneumatic actuation and custom control. The system is constructed from anatomically representative segments (rectum to cecum) and offers on‐demand specification of contraction timing, location, and amplitude, enabling experimentally demonstrated peristaltic, segmental, and mass‐movement‐like actuation, with programmable pressure and timing parameters adjustable for pathological‐like benchmark scenarios. Finite element simulations guide actuator geometry and material layout optimization, and comparison with experiments confirms agreement in pressure‐deformation response and luminal shape change. Functional testing demonstrates real‐time deformation and compatibility with colonoscope‐based inspection, while capsule endoscope transit experiments reveal frequency‐dependent transport and trapping behavior, providing insights into controllable endoluminal locomotion. The modular architecture of the system allows rapid reconfiguration across anatomical variations and supports replacement or integration of lesion and sensor modules. This programmable colon simulator provides a versatile platform for advancing gastrointestinal soft robotics, capsule diagnostics, mechanobiology, and future clinical‐training research, significantly enhancing the realism of benchtop device testing while reducing the reliance on in vivo experimentation.