Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Yilu Zhou is a leading researcher in the development of soft and minimally invasive robotic systems for gastrointestinal endoscopy. Her work focuses on advancing colonoscopy and upper GI examination through novel robotic locomotion, wireless control, and compliant tissue interaction. Zhou’s major contributions include the design of a wireless robotic endoscope that reduces patient trauma by eliminating the need for long, semi-rigid scopes, and the creation of a squirm robot with a full bellow skin—a compact, lightweight prototype (13 mm diameter, 105 mm length, 22.3 g) actuated by three linear micro motors. She further refined this concept with a full-driving soft robotic colonoscope that incorporates a contact biomechanical model to enhance safety and efficiency within compliant colon tissue. Her work on the YunSRobot system demonstrated the feasibility of remote soft endoscopy, achieving stable and safe operation over standard networks. With over 60 citations across her most-cited papers, Zhou’s innovations are pivotal in making colonoscopy less invasive and more accessible, directly impacting early detection of malignant tumors and patient comfort.