Abstract

NANOROBOTICS: MEDICINE OF THE FUTURE

Dhanashree Kad*, Sachin Hodgar and Kiran Thorat

ABSTRACT

Nanorobotics is the technology of creating machines or robots at or close to the microscopic scale of a nanometer (10−9 meters). 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. As no artificial non-biological nanorobots have yet been created, they remain a hypothetical concept. The names nanobots, nanoids, nanites or nanomites have also been used to describe these hypothetical devices. Nanorobotics is an emerging, advanced and multidisciplinary field that calls for scientific and technical expertise of medical, pharmaceutical, bio-medical, engineering as well as other applied and basic scientists. Nanorobots differ from macro-world robots, specifically in their nano sized constructs. Assembly and realization of nanorobots depend on the principles of molecular nanotechnology and mechano-synthetic chemistry. Practically, these systems are nano-electromechanical devices that are capable to carry out pre-programmed functions in a reliable and accurate manner with the help of energy provided by a preinstalled nanomotor or nano-machine. Due to their small size and wide functional properties, nanorobots have created exceptional prospects in medical, biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Although, no technology is available to construct artificial nanorobots, it is now possible to create nanorobots by using biological means. The review presents a brief discussion on basic nano-robotics and its possible applications in medical, biomedical and pharmaceutical research.

Keywords: Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine, Nanomachines, Nanomotors, Bionanorobots.