nanomachinery
Tiny engineered devices
Nanomachinery refers to machines or mechanical systems built at the nanometer scale—billionths of a meter, the size of molecules.
The term encompasses both natural cellular mechanisms like ribosomes and theoretical or experimental devices engineered atom by atom.
Nanomachinery appears frequently in science fiction and speculative technology: Nanomachinery in her bloodstream repaired the damage.
The field promises applications in medicine, manufacturing, and computing.
Submicroscopic robotic devices
- nanitesMolecule-sized autonomous machines
- nanorobotsAtom-scale autonomous machines
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- ribosomesCellular translation machinery
proteins · DNA · RNA · peptides · self-assembly · catalysts · biomimetics · synthesis
Creating nanometer-scale structures
- microfabricationManufacturing miniature structures precisely
- nanoelectronicsCircuitry at billionth-meter dimensions
- nanosensorsNanoscale detection devices
- microsystemsMiniaturized integrated device assemblies
nanocomputing · nanomaterials · microengineering · lithography · etching · deposition · bottom-up · top-down
Things that make duplicates
- swarmMass of moving insects
- assemblersThose who construct things
- disassemblersSoftware reversing binary to assembly
- singularityPoint where values explode
Adjusting for measurement accuracy
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- fine-tuningSmall precise optimization adjustments
- specificityExactness of detail
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
measurement · control · refinement · optimization · repeatability · consistency · instrumentation · positioning
Flow through vessels
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- implantableCapable of bodily insertion
- biosensorsDevices detecting via biological reactions
- payloadCarried freight or charge
nanobots
Submicroscopic robotic devices
- nanitesMolecule-sized autonomous machines
- nanorobotsAtom-scale autonomous machines
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
ribosomes · proteins · DNA · RNA · peptides · self-assembly · catalysts · biomimetics · synthesis · replication
nanofabrication
Creating nanometer-scale structures
- microfabricationManufacturing miniature structures precisely
- nanoelectronicsCircuitry at billionth-meter dimensions
- nanosensorsNanoscale detection devices
microsystems · nanocomputing · nanomaterials · microengineering · lithography · etching · deposition · bottom-up · top-down
replicators
Things that make duplicates
- swarmMass of moving insects
- assemblersThose who construct things
- disassemblersSoftware reversing binary to assembly
calibration
Adjusting for measurement accuracy
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- fine-tuningSmall precise optimization adjustments
- specificityExactness of detail
alignment · measurement · control · refinement · optimization · repeatability · consistency · instrumentation · positioning · manipulation
bloodstream
Flow through vessels
- diagnosticTest to identify problems
- implantableCapable of bodily insertion
- biosensorsDevices detecting via biological reactions
nanomachineryheavy machinery
Large powered industrial apparatus
industrial machinery · megastructures · heavy equipment · construction equipment · factory machinery