A tiny robot in capsule form is under development as a less invasive and more precise substitute for 
A series of magnets on a robotic arm passes over the patient and interacts with a magnet inside the capsule, guiding it through the colon. Source: University of Leedscolonoscopies. The Sonopill is an ingestible, ultrasound-imaging device that can be manipulated through the colon by an external robot.
The 21 mm diameter device is equipped with a micro ultrasound transducer, an LED light and a camera, and is guided by means of intelligent magnetic manipulation, based on the interaction of an encapsulated magnet with those embedded on the robotic arm positioned outside of the patient. With the aid of an artificial intelligence system for optimal device positioning, the Sonopill captures micro-ultrasound images as it travels through the gastrointestinal tract. A flexible cable attached to the capsule transmits images to a computer in the examination room.
The new platform for targeted imaging deep inside the human body was developed by researchers from University of Leeds, Vanderbilt University, Canada's VisualSonics Inc., University of Dundee, Heriot-Watt University, University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow.
