Italian Scientists Invent Robotic "Spider Pill"

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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Italian Scientists Invent Robotic "Spider Pill"



A new and less-invasive way to scan your insides could make you more likely to get that yearly checkup, but is unfortunately probably invented by Dr. Wily.

Italian scientists have invented and tested a "spider pill" that can be swallowed and controlled remotely while within the human body. Similar robotic "pills" already exist, but this may be one of the first that can actually be controlled at a doctor's will after being swallowed. It has already been tested on a pig, as seen in this BBC video [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8301232.stm].

Once inside a patient, the spider pill has legs which extend and allow it to move around, giving a doctor flexibility during an exam. The pill could conceivably detect diseases in the colon or intestines in a much less invasive way than the currently used endoscope, which resembles more of a snake and keeps patients far away from doctor's office.

But lets get right down to it, this is just another step by the world's shadowy puppet masters to make Mega Man into a reality. First, robotic bees [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/95304-Harvard-Researchers-Working-on-Robotic-Bees], and now robotic spiders that actually enter the human body? The scientists say that the spider pill exits the body naturally, but I know I'm not going to pick through my passings to see if it actually has or not.

We need to find a scientist with a huge white beard right now and secret him away. He will build the technology meant to repel these animal-themed-soon-to-end-us-all robots, and he can start with a robotic dog. That's the only way I'll sleep at night.

(Via Slashdot [http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/10/12/1338220/Italian-Scientists-Put-Robot-Spiders-In-Your-Colon])

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El Poncho

Techno Hippy will eat your soul!
May 21, 2009
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Soon disease fighting robotic spider/inects. You want to live? Well I hope your fucking good at controlling microscopic robots inside your body.
 

StarStruckStrumpets

New member
Jan 17, 2009
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According to cracked.com, we are one step closer to the zombie apocalypse.

Seriously, I wouldn't swallow one of those for the life of me.
 

SomethingUnrelated

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Aug 29, 2009
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They reckon that they could get nano-machines (a la MGS) into our bodies to monitor our health within the next century. Wierd Stuff.
 

Souplex

Souplex Killsplosion Awesomegasm
Jul 29, 2008
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Soon the machines shall rise! We need to come up with a plan! http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.148918?page=1
 

Sporky111

Digital Wizard
Dec 17, 2008
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Souplex said:
Soon the machines shall rise! We need to come up with a plan! http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.148918?page=1
Advertising isn't allowed on this site. I don't know if advertising another thread from this site counts, but since you made that one I'm suspicious.

Anyway, despite the creative choice of reference picture in the article, I can see this being implemented. Anybody who has had to suffer an endoscope (I'm not one of them, mind you) will probably jump at the opportunity for a more discrete probing.
 

Jonatron

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Sep 8, 2008
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Mmm.

If you'll excuse me, I'll be practicing a certain ditty on my 8-Bit harmonica, incase the bad guys win and are looking for some area music.
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bubum. Bum, bubububu, nanana!
 

ZombieGenesis

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Apr 15, 2009
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I would love to see someone swallow two of these and have an epic spider robot battle inside their own colon.
 

hypothetical fact

New member
Oct 8, 2008
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Not a single serious comment on this thread.

I wonder what the odds of it getting lodged/broken are and if it will feel like passing a kidney stone.
 

A Weary Exile

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Aug 24, 2009
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ZombieGenesis said:
I would love to see someone swallow two of these and have an epic spider robot battle inside their own colon.
I imagine that it would look something like this [http://www.smart-bombs.com/Previews/Halo%20wars/ScarabAttack.jpg].
 

Gileseypops

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Sep 16, 2009
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....and don't forget kids, you can also control it to enter the testicles and cause some pretty elaborate funk-dancing in the patient when he's stood at the bus stop. ;) xx
 

Disembodied_Dave

The Could-Have-Been-King
Feb 5, 2009
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The only problem with this is that they'll still make you drink that god awful stuff to clear out your system the night before.