In this study, we propose a new magnetically actu-
ated anchoring system for wireless capsule endoscopes
(WCE) by employing the principle of a switchable magnetic
spring. A force model is derived to predict the magnetic force
needed to support the interaction between the anchors and the
intestinal lumen. The theoretical and experimental analysis
conducted shows that the magnetic spring is capable of pro-
viding the force needed to activate the anchoring mechanism,
which consists of four foldable legs. A prototype capsule with
a size comparable with the size of a commercial WCE was
designed, fabricated, and tested. The in-vitro tests with a real
small intestine show that the proposed anchoring mechanism
is able to raise the friction force between the anchoring legs
and inner wall of the intestine by more than two times after its
activation using an external magnetic field. Experimental re-
sults presented demonstrate that the proposed anchoring sys-
tem, which has a low foot-print not taking up too much space
on the capsule, can provide a reliable anchoring capability
with the capsule inside the intestinal lumen.