Self-Driven Medical Robots: From Actuation Mechanisms to Biomedical Applications

Robotics technology is undergoing rapid evolution, exerting a transformative impact across numerous fields. However, the majority of contemporary robotic systems require external energy to drive, which imposes significant constraints on their autonomy and operational scope. In contrast, self-driven robots, which harvest energy from their local environment, are emerging as a transformative paradigm. Despite being a nascent field, self-driven robotics has demonstrated remarkable progress and substantial potential, particularly in the medical field. This review delineates the development history, working principles, functional characteristics, and key medical applications of self-driven robots. By contrasting them with conventional non-self-driven systems, we highlight their unique advantages and capacity to catalyze breakthroughs across multiple disciplines. Finally, we critically assess the challenges and opportunities confronting the clinical translation of self-driven robots and provide a forward-looking perspective on future research directions.