Researchers have invented a soft robot that is inserted into the head through a hole in the skull and places six sensor-equipped legs on the surface of the brain. These sensors monitor the brain’s electrical activity. The robot has been tested on miniature pigs and may help people with epileptic seizures in the future.
The new concept offers a less robust approach to placing electrodes on the surface of the brain compared to the traditional method in which surgeons cut a hole in the skull the size of a full-length device. If the new robot proves safe for humans, it could help monitor and even treat people with epileptic seizures or other neurological disorders.
“There is a really large surface area in the head that can be accessed without a large craniotomy,” said Stéphanie Lacour from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
The new robot is 2 centimeters tall and its legs are made mainly of soft polymer.
Source: New Scientist
