A REPORT ON

NANOROBOTICS – ’’AN UPCOMING

REVOLUTION’’

Presented by –

Md. Aliujjaman
11001419037
OE TT 701C
TT ( 7th SEM )
GCETTS
 ABSTRACT

Nanorobotics is the technology of creating machines or robots at or

close to the microscopic scale of a nanometer. More specifically,
nanorobotics refers to the still largely hypothetical nanotechnology
engineering discipline of designing and building nanorobots, devices
ranging in size from 0.1-10 micrometers and constructed of
nanoscale or molecular components.
Nanotechnology is so new that no one is really sure what will come
out of it. Even so, predictions range from the ability to reproduce
things like diamonds and food to the world being devoured by self-
replicating nanorobots. Many new nanotechnology research fields
require a high degree of precision in both observing and
manipulating materials at the atomic level
The advanced nanorobotics technology needed to manipulate
materials at this scale, a million times smaller than a grain of sand, is
being developed .The integration of different technologies to act as
simultaneous real-time nanoscale `eyes´ and `hands´, including the
advanced nanorobotics, high-resolution ion/electron microscopy,
image processing/vision control and sophisticated sensors, will be
the key to realising such nanomanipulation.
This seminar presents the major aspects of nanorobotics which are
at the verge of implementation and would be no less than revolution
in the field of medicine if brought into reality.
 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION…………………………….
2. NANOROBOT INSPIRATION…………………
3. WORKING OF NANOROBOTS……………………..
i. NANOROBOTS NAVIGATION
ii. POWERING THE NANOROBOT
4. APPLICATIONS………………………….
5. NANOROBOTS – TODAY AND TOMORROW……………….
6. CONCLUSION…………………………..
7. REFERENCES ………………………………
 1. INTRODUCTION
Nanorobotics is the technology of creating machines
or robots at or close to the microscopic scale of a
nanometer . More specifically, nanorobotics refers to
the still largely hypothetical nanotechnology
engineering discipline of designing and building
nanorobots and devices ranging in size from 0.1-10
micrometers and constructed of nanoscale or
molecular components. As of 2010 nobody has yet
built artificial non-biological nanorobots: they remain
a hypothetical concept. The names nanorobots,
nanoids, nanites or nanomites have also been used to
describe these hypothetical devices.
Nanomachines are largely in the research-and-
development phase , but some primitive molecular
machines have been tested. An example is a sensor
having a switch approximately 1.5 nanometers across,
capable of counting specific molecules in a chemical
sample. The first useful applications of nanomachines,
if such are ever built, might be in medical technology,
which might use them to identify and destroy cancer
cells. Another potential application is the detection of
toxic chemicals, and the measurement of their
concentrations, in the environment. Nanotechnology
promises futuristic applications such as microscopic
robots that assemble other machines or travel inside
the body to deliver drugs or do microsurgery.
 2.NANOROBOT INSPIRATION

Assuming the nanorobot isn't tethered or designed to

float passively through the bloodstream, it will need a
means of propulsion to get around the body. Because
it may have to travel against the flow of blood, the
propulsion system has to be relatively strong for its
size[2]. Another important consideration is the safety
of the patient -- the system must be able to move the
nanorobot around without causing damage to the
host.

Fig: Nanorobot designers sometimes look at microscopic organisms for propulsion inspiration, like
the flagellum on this e-coli cell.

Some scientists are looking at the world of microscopic

organisms for inspiration. Paramecium move through their
environment using tiny tail-like limbs called cilia. By vibrating the
cilia, the paramecium can swim in any direction. Similar to cilia are
flagella, which are longer tail structures. Organisms whip flagella
around in different ways to move around.
Scientists in Israel created microrobot, a robot only a few millimeters
in length, which uses small appendages to grip and crawl through
blood vessels. The scientists manipulate the arms by creating
magnetic fields outside the patient's body. The magnetic fields cause
the robot's arms to vibrate, pushing it further through the blood
vessels. The scientists point out that because all of the energy for the
nanorobot comes from an external source, there's no need for an
internal power source. They hope the relatively simple design will
make it easy to build even smaller robots.
 3.WORKING OF NANOROBOTS

Imagine going to the doctor to get treatment for a

persistent fever. Instead of giving you a pill or a shot,
the doctor refers you to a special medical team which
implants a tiny robot into your bloodstream. The robot
detects the cause of your fever, travels to the
appropriate system and provides a dose of medication
directly to the infected area.

Surprisingly, we're not that far off from seeing devices like this
actually used in medical procedures. They're called nanorobots and
engineering teams around the world are working to design robots
that will eventually be used to treat everything from hemophilia to
cancer.
 3.i. Nanorobot Navigation

There are three main considerations scientists need to focus on when looking
at nanorobots moving through the body -- navigation, power and how the
nanorobot will move through blood vessels. Nanotechnologists are looking at
different options for each of these considerations, each of which has positive
and negative aspects. Most options can be divided into one of two categories:
external systems and onboard systems.
External navigation systems might use a variety of different methods to pilot
the nanorobot to the right location. One of these methods is to use ultrasonic
signals to detect the nanorobot's location and direct it to the right destination.
Doctors would beam ultrasonic signals into the patient's body.
The signals would either pass through the body, reflect back to the source of
the signals, or both. The nanorobot could emit pulses of ultrasonic signals,
which doctors could detect using special equipment with ultrasonic sensors.
Doctors could keep track of the nanorobot's location and maneuver it to the
right part of the patient's body.
Other devices sound even more exotic. One would use capacitors to generate
magnetic fields that would pull conductive fluids through one end of an
electromagnetic pump and shoot it out the back end. The nanorobot would
move around like a jet airplane. Miniaturized jet pumps could even use blood
plasma to push the nanorobot forward, though, unlike the electromagnetic
pump, there would need to be moving parts.
Another potential way nanorobots could move around is by using a vibrating
membrane. By alternately tightening and relaxing tension on a membrane, a
nanorobot could generate small amounts of thrust. On the nanoscale, this
thrust could be significant enough to act as a viable source of motion.
 3.ii. Powering the Nanorobot

Just like the navigation systems, nanotechnologists are considering both

external and internal power sources. Some designs rely on the nanorobot using
the patient's own body as a way of generating power. Other designs include a
small power source on board the robot itself. Finally, some designs use forces
outside the patient's body to power the robot.
Nanorobots could get power directly from the bloodstream. A nanorobot with
mounted electrodes could form a battery using the electrolytes found in blood.
Another option is to create chemical reactions with blood to burn it for energy.
The nanorobot would hold a small supply of chemicals that would become a
fuel source when combined with blood.
A nanorobot could use the patient's body heat to create power, but there
would need to be a gradient of temperatures to manage it. Power generation
would be a result of the Seebeck effect. The Seebeck effect occurs when two
conductors made of different metals are joined at two points that are kept at
two different temperatures. The metal conductors become a thermocouple,
meaning that they generate voltage when the junctures are at different
temperatures. Since it's difficult to rely on temperature gradients within the
body, it's unlikely we'll see many nanorobots use body heat for power.
While it might be possible to create batteries small enough to fit inside a
nanorobot, they aren't generally seen as a viable power source. The problem is
that batteries supply a relatively small amount of power related to their size
and weight, so a very small battery would only provide a fraction of the power
a nanorobot would need. A more likely candidate is a capacitor, which has a
slightly better power-to-weight ratio.
 Fig :Engineers are working on building smaller capacitors that will power technology like
nanorobots.

Another possibility for nanorobot power is to use a nuclear power

source. The thought of a tiny robot powered by nuclear energy gives
some people the willies, but keep in mind the amount of material is
small and, according to some experts, easy to shield. Still, public
opinions regarding nuclear power make this possibility unlikely at
best.
External power sources include systems where the nanorobot is
either tethered to the outside world or is controlled without a
physical tether. Tethered systems would need a wire between the
nanorobot and the power source. The wire would need to be strong,
but it would also need to move effortlessly through the human body
without causing damage. A physical tether could supply power either
by electricity or optically. Optical systems use light through fiber
optics, which would then need to be converted into electricity on
board the robot.
 4. APPLICATIONS

Several engineers, scientists and doctors believe that nanorobot

applications are practically unlimited. Some of the most likely uses include:
4.1 Breaking up blood clots: Blood clots can cause complications ranging
from muscle death to a stroke. Nanorobots could travel to a clot and break it
up. This application is one of the most dangerous uses for nanorobots -- the
robot must be able to remove the blockage without losing small pieces in the
bloodstream, which could then travel elsewhere in the body and cause more
problems. The robot must also be small enough so that it doesn't block the
flow of blood itself.
4.2 Treating arteriosclerosis: Arteriosclerosis refers to a condition where
plaque builds along the walls of arteries. Nanorobots could conceivably treat
the condition by cutting away the plaque, which would then enter the
bloodstream refer below figure.

Fig: Robots may treat conditions like arteriosclerosis by physically chipping away
the plaque along artery walls.

4.3 Fighting cancer: Doctors hope to use nanorobots to treat cancer patients.
The robots could either attack tumors directly using lasers, microwaves or
ultrasonic signals or they could be part of a chemotherapy treatment,
delivering medication directly to the cancer site. Doctors believe that by
delivering small but precise doses of medication to the patient, side effects will
be minimized without a loss in the medication's effectiveness.
 5. Nanorobots: Today and Tomorrow

Teams around the world are working on creating the first practical medical
nanorobot. Robots ranging from a millimeter in diameter to a relatively hefty
two centimeters long already exist, though they are all still in the testing phase
of development and haven't been used on people. We're probably several
years away from seeing nanorobots enter the medical market. Today's
microrobots are just prototypes that lack the ability to perform medical tasks.

Fig : Although this 2-centimeter-long robot is an impressive achievement, future robots will be
hundreds of times smaller.
 6. CONCLUSION

In the future, nanorobots could revolutionize medicine. Doctors

could treat everything from heart disease to cancer using tiny robots
the size of bacteria, a scale much smaller than today's robots. Robots
might work alone or in teams to eradicate disease and treat other
conditions. Some believe that semiautonomous nanorobots are right
around the corner -- doctors would implant robots able to patrol a
human's body, reacting to any problems that pop up. Unlike acute
treatment, these robots would stay in the patient's body forever.
Another potential future application of nanorobot technology is to
re-engineer our bodies to become resistant to disease, increase our
strength or even improve our intelligence. Dr. Richard Thompson, a
former professor of ethics, has written about the ethical implications
of nanotechnology. He says the most important tool is
communication, and that it's pivotal for communities, medical
organizations and the government to talk about nanotechnology
now, while the industry is still in its infancy.
Will we one day have thousands of microscopic robots rushing
around in our veins, making corrections and healing our cuts, bruises
and illnesses? With nanotechnology, it seems like anything is
possible. Kudos to the engineers for this revolution.
 References

[1]Wang, J. (2009). "Can Man-Made Nanomachines Compete with Nature

Biomotors?".ACS Nano3 (1): 4±9. doi:10.1021/nn800829k. PMID 19206241
[2] ³hownanorobots will work ³ by Jonathan Strickland.
[3] www.dreamstime.com
[4]www.nanorobotdesign.com
[5] Nathan A. Weir, Dannelle P. Sierra, and James F. Jones ³A Review of
Research in the Field of Nanorobotics ,Sandia National Laboratories,2006