First Nano-Step Toward Nanobot Construction

Scientists are reporting that they have taken the first small step toward building a device capable of manipulating individual molecules of various materials. The ultimate dream of nanotechnology is to produce minuscule robotic devices capable of being programmed and capable of manipulating matter at the molecular level. These little nanobots, as they have been dubbed, will be able to produce materials and objects of unimagined properties. Eventually they may even be programmed to produce more nanobots, thus becoming self-replicating.

The potential is unimaginable. The current effort to produce a palatable meat-replacement without using animals would be child’s play for the nanobots. Reconstructing a faulty heart-valve or even rejuvenating human tissue, should be possible. Materials stronger than steel yet lighter than Styrofoam could be produced. Of course there is also the danger of military use or malicious programming causing the complete extermination of the human race — a problem that will need to be addressed as the technology develops — but the overall potential is almost limitless.

We are a very long ways from being able to produce such devices, but the first tiny steps toward this goal are described in the cited report. There are tools for nano-construction already, but none suitable for manipulating the variety of materials in the ways that are needed to work them together into a nanobot. This report describes how scientists are working on a tool that could help build the tool that could be used to build a nanobot.