The exterior of the nanorobot will be subjected to the various chemical liquids in our bodies but the
interior of the nanorobot will be a closed, vacuum environment into which liquids from the outside
cannot normally enter unless it is needed for chemical analysis. A nanorobot will prevent itself
from being attacked by the immune system by having a passive, diamond exterior. The diamond
exterior will have to be smooth and flawless because past experiments have shown that this
prevents leukocytes activities since the exterior is chemically inert and have low bioactivity(Freitas
26).
Nanorobots will communicate with the doctor by encoding messages to acoustic signals at
carrier wave frequencies of 1-100 MHz(Freitas 27). When the doctor gives a command to the
nanorobots, the nanorobots can receive the message from the acoustic sensors on the nanorobots
and implement the doctor’s orders. Replication is a crucial basic capability for molecular
manufacturing. However, in the case of nanorobots, we should restrict manufacturing to in vitro (in
laboratory) replication. Replication in the body (in vivo) is dangerous because it might go out of
control. If even replicating bacteria can give humans so many diseases, the thought of replicating
nanorobots can present unimaginable dangers to the human body. When the nanorobots are
finished with their jobs, they will be disposed from the body to prevent them from breaking down
and malfunctioning(Freitas 27).
One example of a possible nanorobot will be Robert Freita’s artificial red blood cell, the
respirocyte. The respirocyte is used in the event of impaired circulation, where there is a need for
extra metabolic support to provide emergency supplies of oxygen for survival. Its exterior will be
made of flawless diamond to maintain chemical inertness and to withstand great pressure in the
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body. The spherical respirocyte will mechanically retrieve all the oxygen into its pressure vessel. It
will be filled with high-pressure oxygen at approximately 1,000 atmospheres and oxygen should be
able to trickle out of the sphere at a constant rate by using nanomechanical propellers (Freitas
412). By driving the rotor at the right speed, oxygen can be released from the internal reservoir into
the external environment at the desired rate. A respirocyte can hold 236 times more oxygen per
unit volume than a natural red blood cell (Freitas 413). In layman terms, a one-liter dose of
respirocytes will enable a normal human being to survive after being strangled for four hours. He
can run as fast as he can for fifteen minutes nonstop without taking a single breath.
Some other possible uses of nanorobots include cosmetic creams that can be packed with
nanorobots to do a better job of cleaning than any product can today. It can remove the right
amount of dead skin cells, excess oils, add missing nutrients, apply the right amount of natural
emollients, and even achieve the goal of deep pore cleansing by reaching deep into the pores and
cleaning them thoroughly (Bhargava).
A mouthwash full of smart nanomachines can do all the brushing and flossing for people.
This mouthwash will identify and destroy disease-causing bacteria and allow the harmless bacteria
in the mouth to live. The devices will recognize food particles, plaque or tartar, and get rid of them
effectively. Since the nanomachines have short life spans, they will naturally decay into
biodegradable molecules that can be removed easily by the body (Bhargava).
The production of nanorobots has taken a step closer to real application due to
technological advancements such as AFM (atomic force micrograph), bionic motors, nanotanks,
DNA as computers, and nano robotic arms. The AFM generates a topographical map that
represents surface features and qualities of the object and gives a magnification up to 10^9, a
magnification immense enough to scrutinize at individual atoms (Ferrari 5). The AFM generates
the topographic map by examining the force between the tip and the surface. A laser light is
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shined at the end of the cantilever (where the probe is) and depending on the refraction angles, the
computer can compute the topographic image. The innovation of this type of microscope enables
scientists to observe if the molecular structure of the nanorobots is precise and if the nanorobots
are functioning properly. Simple bionic motors recently created by Cornell University can enable
the movement of the nanorobots. These motors are a combination of an organic molecule of
enzyme, ATPase, and a metallic substrate genetically engineered with a “handle”. These
nanoscale motors can run up to 3-4 revolutions per second up to 40 minutes (Segelken 30). These
nanomotorboats can provide a basis for “nanofabrication platforms for the production of organic
and inorganic hybrid nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS)” (Segelken 30), which will eventually
lead to the controlled mobility of nanorobots.
In 1985, a researcher named Richard Smalley in Rice University, discovered that carbon
atoms could be linked together in groups of 60 or more to form spherical molecules called
"buckyballs." As soon as a few atoms of cobalt or nickel are added to the buckyballs, the altered
carbon-60 molecules, called fullerenes, shape themselves into chemically stable tubes with one
atom thick walls (Weber 33). These miniscule fullerene vessels are 100 times stronger than steel
and can form hollow nanotanks that could potentially encapsulate and transport medications on a
molecular level. Nanorobots will store these nanotanks in their interior and release the medication
or treatment once they arrive at the desired location.
While researching at the University of Southern California, Leonard Adleman confirmed
that DNA, the genetic material that organisms inherit from their parents, was programmable in
computers. He utilized the binary code, the basis of computer programming, into DNA by pairing
A(adenine) to T(thymine) and C (cytosine) to G (guanine). By synthesizing trillion of copies of
DNA, mixing them together in solution, and isolating strands of DNA, Adleman could solve simple
problems such as the “traveling salesman problem, in which a salesman journeys from a start city
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to an end city along given pathways, hitting each city only once” (Weber 34). This proves that
biological molecules can be programmed to achieve massive parallel processing very efficiently
since it could solve combination problems at speeds much faster than supercomputers today.
These DNA computers, with their small size and potentially great computing powers, could be
installed inside nanorobots and give simple mechanical commands to the nanorobot.
The precursor of nanorobotic arms has also just been invented five years ago and is
composed of linking two nucleotide strands together that are joined by a bridge (Weber 34). The
bridge allows the two strands to rotate around each other and is the beginning of manufacturing
functional nanorobotic arms. Once nanorobotic arms are made, the nanorobots will have the ability
to grab viruses, antigens, or vital elements needed for analysis.
All of these current developments in technology directs humans a step closer to
nanorobots and simple, operating nanorobots is the near future. Nanorobots can theoretically
destroy all common diseases of the 20th century, thereby ending much of the pain and suffering. It
can also have alternative, practical uses such as improved mouthwash and cosmetic creams that
can expand the commercial market in biomedical engineering. People can envision a future where
people can self-diagnose their own ailments with the help of nanorobot monitors in their
bloodstream. Simple everyday illnesses can be cured without ever visiting the physician. Invasive
surgery will be replaced by an operation carried out by nano-surgical robots. Although research
into nanorobots is in its preliminary stages, the promise of such technology is endless.
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Bibliography
Bhargava, Amit. “Nanorobots: Medicine of the future”.
http://ewh.ieee.org/r10/bombay/news3/main3.html.
Ferrari, Mauro. Biomedical Microdevices. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001.
Freitas, Robert. “Say ah.” Sciences Volume 40 (July/Aug 2000): 26-31.
Freitas, Robert. “Exploratory Design in Medical Nanotechnology: A Mechanical
Artificial Red Blood Cell.” Artificial Cells, Blood Substitutes, and Immobil.
Biotech Volume 26 (1998): 411-430.
Segelken, Roger. “Fantastic voyage: Tiny pharmacies propelled through the body could
result from Cornell breakthrough in molecular motors.” Nanotechnology journal
(Sept. 1999): 30.
Weber, David. “Nanomedicine.” Health Forum Journal Volume 42 (July/Aug
1999): 32-36.
