TSG

The film Fantastic Voyage is quite often associated with nanorobots being used to combat health problems. Will advances in nanotechnology enable nanorobots?

Many times science fiction is in fact inspired by reality or based on scientific discussions. For example, Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon (1865) (2) described travel to the moon, and was inspired from real developments in astrophysics from that period (3). In the year when that book was written, travel could be thought of as impossible for many people. However, now our society is planning to travel to Mars, and most recently has sent autonomous robots to explore the red planet.

What steps must be achieved to build a nanorobot for human medical use?

Manufacturing nanorobots requires advances in diamondoid rigid materials (7). This technology has been demonstrated as feasible, and the manufacturing of nanodevices has been growing in recent years (8). Diamondoid manufacturing is moving step by step, and we are acquiring the requisite understanding to be moving towards manufacturing robots in sizes comparable to bacteria.

At this time does there exist any human or animal laboratory trials?

Indeed, there are many fully functional nanodevices built, such as motors, sensors, biomolecular computing, and nanotransistors (12). At the moment the main challenge is to integrate the several parts of distinct existing nanodevices into a controllable nanorobot.

What will be required from a nanorobot to operate in a human body?

To be most effective, the ideal length of nanorobots should be no larger than 3 microns in diameter. The nanorobot must have efficient transducers and actuators, with low computational cost, and effectively be able to interact with its surroundings once inside the human body.

Can you foresee patients accepting nanorobots for use inside their bodies?

Any medicament to be used in human beings must first be approved after a long set of tests in the laboratory; it doesn't matter whether it is a traditional medicament or a new nanotechnology-based approach for nanomedicine