The NanoRobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University has come up
with a medical robot that can be swallowed, and is then able to
be controlled from outside the body. The device has small arms
with adhesives that can attach to slippery internal surfaces,
which has previously proven difficult. Once inside the body, it
can be used to view damaged areas, deliver drugs, as well as
biopsy questionable tissues, and possibly even be used to
cauterize bleeding wounds with a small laser. The device could
be stopped, and even reversed to get a better look at areas that
may have gone unnoticed otherwise. This would be a major
advancement in diagnosing intestinal problems, and could lead to
potentially life saving treatments. Did we mention that it has
lasers?