Towards multifunctional robotic pills

Robotic pills leverage the advantages of oral pharmaceutical formulations—in particular, convenient encapsulation, high loading capacity, ease of manufacturing and high patient compliance—as well as the multifunctionality, increasing miniaturization and sophistication of microrobotic systems. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of major innovations in the development of robotic pills—specifically, oral pills embedded with robotic capabilities based on microneedles, microinjectors, microstirrers or microrockets—summarize current progress and applicational gaps of the technology, and discuss its prospects. We argue that the integration of multiple microrobotic functions within oral delivery systems alongside accurate control of the release characteristics of their payload provides a basis for realizing sophisticated multifunctional robotic pills that operate as closed-loop systems.