"Nanorobot" is an emerging technology in robotic engineering. The development of nanorobots belongs to the category of "Molecular nanotechnology (MNT)", which is based on biological principles at the molecular level. Design prototypes and design and manufacture "functional molecular devices" that can operate in nanospace.

The idea of ??nanorobots is to apply biological principles at the nanoscale, discover new phenomena, and develop programmable molecular robots. Synthetic biology redesigns cell signaling and gene regulation networks and develops "in-body" or "wet" biological computers or cell robots, thus creating another way of nanorobotics technology.

It was Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Richard Feynman who first proposed the idea of ??nanotechnology in 1959. He pioneered the idea of ??using microrobots to treat diseases. In his words, "swallowing the surgeon." In a speech titled "There is a Plenty of Space at the Bottom of Matter," Richard Feynman proposed that in the future it will be possible for humans to build a micromachine the size of a molecule, which can use molecules or even single atoms as building blocks in very large spaces. Small spaces build matter, which means humans can make anything in the lowest space. Starting from molecules and atoms, changing and organizing molecules is the goal of chemists and biologists. This will make the production process very simple, and only need to recombine the large number of molecules obtained to form useful objects.

In his 1959 speech "There's a Lot of Room at the Bottom," he proposed the idea of ??nanotechnology. Although he did not use the word "nano," he actually laid out the basic concepts of nanotechnology. ?[1]?

In 1990, Professor Zhou Haizhong, a famous Chinese scholar, predicted in the article "On Robots" that by the middle of the 21st century, nanorobots will completely change human labor and lifestyle.

On July 1, 2010, the oil spill from the "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico washed up on the coast of Gulfport, Mississippi, USA. Nanorobots are far more efficient than traditional methods in responding to environmental disasters such as oil spills. ?[1]?

Academic Vision

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The vision of nanobiology is to apply biological principles at the nanoscale to discover new phenomena , developing programmable molecular robots, also known as nanorobots. The content involved can be summarized into the following four aspects:

Understand the fine structure of biological macromolecules and their relationship with function at the nanoscale.

Obtain life information at the nanoscale, for example, using scanning tunneling microscopy to obtain structural information on cell membranes and cell surfaces.

Development of nanorobots. Nanorobots are the most attractive content in nanobiology. The first-generation nanorobots are an organic combination of biological systems and mechanical systems. Such nanorobots can be injected into human blood vessels for health examinations and disease treatment. It can also be used to repair human organs, perform plastic surgery, remove harmful DNA from genes, or install normal DNA into genes to allow the body to operate normally. The second generation of nanorobots is directly assembled from atoms or molecules into nanoscale molecular devices with specific functions. The third generation of nanorobots will contain nanocomputers, a device that can conduct human-machine dialogue.

Nanometer-scale adjustments are used to kill mutated cancer cells. Through external laser guidance, precise calculations are used to find cancerous cells with excessive radiation. Advanced biological cell lysis technology is used to dissolve potentially diseased cells into chemical molecular elements. After precise verification by a specific sensor system, the cellular components are successfully introduced into healthy cells, completing the conversion of necrotic cells into successful healthy cells. ?[2]?

Technical Principles

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The emergence of nanobiology is inseparable from the invention of SPM and its application in life sciences Open. Life processes are the most complex known physical and chemical processes. Different from macrobiology, nanobiology observes life phenomena from a microscopic perspective and aims to manipulate and modify molecules. Nanobiology has achieved gratifying results in a short time of development. Biological scientists have proposed many challenging new ideas in the field of nanobiology. Nanobiological processing techniques can learn from biological cells.

In fact, every cell is a living example of the application of nanotechnology: cells not only convert fuel into energy, but also build and activate proteins and enzymes based on the information stored in DNA, by interacting with By recombining the DNA of different species, genetic engineers have learned to build new such nanotools, such as using bacterial cells to produce medical hormones. Based on the principles of molecular pathology, scientists have developed a variety of nanorobots that can enter the microscopic world of the human body and walk around. They are expected to be used to remove harmful substances, repair damaged genes, activate cell energy, maintain human health, and extend human lifespan. Medical nanorobots are still in the experimental stage.

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Application fields

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Bold application ideas of nanotechnology also include: using nanomachines to organize the obtained carbon atoms one by one rise up and turn into exquisite diamonds; re-decompose the dioxide molecules into their original components; put a nano-cruise tool into human blood, which can automatically search for cholesterol deposited on the vein walls and then decompose them one by one. ; In the future, nanomachines will be able to turn grass clippings into bread... In a complete sense, every real object in the world, whether it is a computer or cheese, is made up of molecules;

In In theory, nanomachines could build anything.

Schematic diagram of nanorobot structure

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Of course, there is no equivalent from theory to actual application, but nanomachinery experts have shown that the realization of Applications of nanotechnology are possible. With the help of scanning tunneling microscopes, nanomachinery experts have been able to arrange individual atoms into structures never seen in nature. In addition, nanomachinery experts have designed tiny gears and motors made from just a few molecules. (These gears and motors are not to be confused with those made of millions of molecules and built with conventional technology, and these machines will be far too large to compare with those built in the future).

Within 25 years, nanotechnologists hope to realize these ideas that exist in science showcases and create real, working nanomachines. These nanomachines have tiny "fingers" that can delicately handle various molecules; they have tiny "computers" that direct the "fingers" how to operate. The "fingers" may be made of carbon nanotubes, which are 100 times stronger than steel and one-fifty-thousandth as thin as a human hair. "Computers" might be made from carbon nanotubes, which serve as both the transistors and the wires connecting them. "Computers" might also be made from DNA, and nanobots armed with the right software and enough dexterity can construct any substance.

Nanorobots must use a large number of nanomachines to perform any task, including replicating themselves. There may be millions of nanorobots in the blood; trillions of nanorobots may be needed at each toxic waste site; to build a car may require tens of billions of nanorobots to work simultaneously. However, no production line can produce such huge quantities of nanorobots.

However, nanomachines in the eyes of nanoscientists can do this. They designed the nanobots to do two things: perform their primary tasks and create perfect replicas of themselves. If the first nanobot can make two copies, each of which can make two copies of itself, trillions of nanobots could soon be available.

But what happens if the nanobots forget to stop replicating? If, without some built-in stop signal, the nanorobot forgets to stop replicating, the possible consequences of such a disaster would be incalculable. Nanorobots replicate rapidly in the human body and can fill normal tissues faster than cancer spreads; a crazy food-making robot can turn the entire biosphere of the earth into a giant cheese.

Nanotechnologists do not shy away from danger, but they believe they can control disaster. One approach is to design a software program that causes the nanobots to self-destruct after replicating for several generations. Another approach is to design a robot that replicates only under specific conditions, such as when toxic chemicals are present in higher concentrations, or within a narrow range of temperature and humidity.

Just like the spread of computer viruses, all the above efforts cannot prevent those with bad intentions from deliberately releasing some kind of nanobots as harmful weapons. In fact, some critics suggest that nanotechnology may do more harm than good. However, these benefits alone are already too tempting. Nanotechnology will surely surpass electronic computers and genetic medicine and become the technological development direction of the new century. The world might need a nanotech immune system, in which nanorobot policemen constantly battle robots with malicious intentions in the microscopic world.

Chinese Applications

The Chinese can also play with atoms like chess pieces. The reporter learned from the Chinese Academy of Sciences that a prototype robot system capable of operating at the nanoscale was successfully developed by the Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and passed the acceptance of the national "863" intelligent robot expert group in the field of automation. In a demonstration, researchers from the Shenyang Institute of Automation operated a "nano micro-manipulation robot" to clearly carve the three English letters "SIA" (the abbreviation of the Shenyang Institute of Automation) on a 1×2 micron area on a silicon substrate; another One demonstration showed that on a 5×5 micron silicon substrate, the operator accurately moved a 4-micron-long, 100-nanometer-thick carbon nanotube into a carved groove.

The characters carved by the nano-micro-manipulation robot on a 10×10 micron substrate

The test showed that during the engraving operation, the nano-micro-manipulation robot was able to engrave characters on a 512 pixel width In the display area, the repeated positioning error is less than 5 pixels, with an accuracy of more than 1%; in the operation of moving carbon nanotubes, the repeated positioning accuracy reaches 30 nanometers; and in the positioning test based on road signs, the positioning error is less than 4 nanometers. Experts explain that 1 nanometer is 10^-9 meters, which is approximately equal to the length of 10 argon atoms arranged in a straight line. Operations at the nanoscale, called "nano micro-operations", are an important part of nanotechnology. The purpose is to move, shape, characterize and assemble nanomaterials at the nanoscale according to human wishes. Nano-micromanipulation began in the 1980s. In 1989, IBM scientists used a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to manipulate 35 xenon atoms to spell out the letters I-B-M on the surface of nickel metal, which became news that shocked the world. pioneered nano-micromanipulation. Since then, nanomanipulation technology has become an important strategic development direction, attracting various countries to conduct research. According to researchers on the project, this robot system has made many breakthroughs and innovations in terms of system modeling methods at the nanoscale, acquisition and perception of three-dimensional nanoscopic forces, and error analysis and compensation, all of which have reached the world's advanced level. According to reports, this kind of nano-micro-operation robot can be widely used in fields such as nano-science experimental research, bioengineering and medical experimental research, micro-nano scientific research and teaching. For example, in the field of biological research, nano-micro-manipulation robots can be used to complete the cutting operation of cell chromosomes; they can also conduct biochemical detection and pathological and physiological testing experimental research at the DNA or molecular level. In addition, this kind of robot also has good application prospects in the assembly and processing of nano-devices in the IC industry. For example, it can be used to manipulate nano-particles, assemble micro/nano electronic devices, and even complex nano-circuits. This means that in the future, computers and household appliances made using nanometer circuits can be "as small as you want them to be," and can even be "fitted between teeth." Robots can also penetrate into the human body to unblock blood vessels for patients, or complete tasks that are impossible for people to complete on their own in the microscopic world invisible to the naked eye.

Foreign Applications

In the American science fiction blockbuster "Amazing Voyage", scientists injected smaller people and spaceships into the human body, allowing these shrunken "visitors" to watch directly To the organization and operation of various organs of the human body. However, in reality, scientists have developed a variety of nanorobots that can enter the human body based on the principles of molecular pathology, and are expected to be used to maintain human health.

Still in the experimental stage, ranging from a few millimeters in length to a few microns in diameter; but it is certain that nanorobots will bring a medical revolution in the next few years?[4]? .

Many engineers, scientists and doctors believe that medical nanorobots have unlimited potential - most likely among them: treating atherosclerosis, fighting cancer, removing blood clots, cleaning wounds, and aiding blood clotting. , eliminate parasites, treat gout, crush kidney stones, artificial insemination and activate cell energy, so that people not only stay healthy, but also extend their lifespan.