A Robot You Swallow | Ep 343

In this talk

1. 2:01

   From science fiction to a swallowable robot

   Smith imagines tiny robots eventually performing tasks such as brain surgery, but says Endiatx is starting with a more achievable device. PillBot uses four small thrusters to move through the stomach and send live images to a doctor. Smith says he and his team have swallowed early prototypes and steered them with Xbox controllers.

2. 7:58

   A lower cost route to stomach examinations

   Smith says the initial goal is to let doctors inspect the stomach without the sedation and hospital procedure typically required for an endoscopy. He compares PillBot with passive capsule cameras, which cannot be steered in real time, and with endoscopes, a much larger market. He hopes to make the system for about $25 and offer the examination at a fraction of current costs.

3. 13:39

   How the device works and what remains difficult

   The robot uses small motors and propellers, while an external receiver communicates with it using radio around 900 megahertz, which Smith says can pass through body tissue. At the time of the interview, video was 160 by 160 pixels, in color, at about five frames per second. The team was working on image compression, reliable connections, optics, buoyancy, and a smaller, single-use battery.

4. 47:42

   A staged path toward clinical use

   Smith describes PillBot as a possible first product at roughly 13 millimeters wide and 26 millimeters long. Planned improvements included a fisheye lens, glare reduction, and a polymer casing to help the capsule float neutrally. He outlined a path from small IRB studies to larger FDA trials, and said the company hoped to reach the U.S. market near the end of 2023.