Vibrating pill, ingestible sensor: mini robots tackle gut disorders

This handout picture obtained on Feb 14, 2023 courtesy of Caltech shows ingestible smart pill for wireless GI tract monitoring. — AFP/Saransh Sharma/Caltech

WASHINGTON: A pill that vibrates to relieve constipation, a sensor that can be tracked in the gut – medical researchers are turning to tiny robots to treat or diagnose gastrointestinal disorders.

“This is a very booming field,” said Saransh Sharma, a doctoral student at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) involved in the development of the ingestible diagnostic sensor.