美国科学家制造出纳米机器人

　　国际在线专稿，据《每日邮报》5月13日报道，美国哥伦比亚大学科学家近日成功研制出一种由DNA分子构成的“纳米蜘蛛”微型机器人，它们能够跟随DNA的运行轨迹自由地行走、 移动、转向以及停止，并且它们能够自由地在二维物体的表面行走。

　　据悉，这种“纳米蜘蛛”机器人的大小仅有4纳米，比人类头发直径的十万分之一还小。该“纳米蜘蛛”机器人的发明是对几年前“蜘蛛分子”机器人的改进与升级，其功能更加强大，这种纳米机器人不仅能够自由地在二维物体的表面行走，而且还能吞食面包碎屑。虽然以前研制出的DNA分子机器人也具有行走功能，但不会超过3步，而“纳米蜘蛛”机器人却能行走100纳米的距离，相当于行走50步。

　　“纳米”机器人可以用于医疗事业，以帮助人类识别并杀死癌细胞以达到治疗癌症的目的，还可以帮助人们完成外科手术，清理动脉血管垃圾，及组成计算机新硬件等。科学家们已经研发出这种机器人的生产线。（海澜）(本文来源：国际在线)

在二维物体表面行走的“纳米蜘蛛”机器人
 

“纳米蜘蛛”机器人复制出了另一个机器人，继而被染成绿色，并朝红色目标移动

 

Scientists create robot nano-spiders

Could live inside people

13 May 2010 18:33 | by <!-- Author Start -->Dean Wilson<!-- Author End --> | posted in Science

Scientists in Columbia, Arizona, Michigan, and California have developed robotic nano spiders that could one day be used inside humans to heal injuries.

The latest nanotechnology development involved programming an autonomous molecular DNA-based robot dyed green to start, move, turn, and stop while following a DNA substrate track as it tried to reach its red-dyed goal.

Of course, this is no R2D2. When are we going to get those? But it still qualifies as a robot, according to Caltech professor Erik Winfree, who said the traditional view of a robot is "a machine that senses its environment, makes a decision, and then does something." These new nano-bots certainly do that.

Robots are already in place in hospitals around the world, sometimes performing detailed operations that require a steadier hand or more precision than a human being is capable of.

This development of microscopic robots will allow operations that were previously impossible or required more invasive surgery. For example, the spiders could be programmed to sense the presence of disease within a cell, decide that it is cancerous, and then act on that decision by delivering an anti-cancerous drug.

That is not the extent to which this technology could be used, however. Chips and other small devices could be assembled by this nano-bots if programmed appropriately - so we'd be able to say "the robots at Intel" without getting a slap on the wrist.

The problem with molecules is that they are too small to hold the information necessary for programming, meaning that this information needs to be stored around the molecule itself. It could be attached to the molecule or placed in its surrounding environment.

Previous attempts at making nano-bots showed an ability for them to walk roughly three steps. The current four nanometer in diameter molecular robot can walk roughly 50 steps, which is a substantial improvement on the old model and means a collective could technically win in a fight against a dalek.

The research is going on, but the scientists revealed that the next step is to add a second nano-bot, so that both can communicate with each other directly and via their environment. “The spiders will work together to accomplish a goal,” said Milan N. Stojanovic of Columbia University.

A paper on this subject can be found in the latest issue of the Nature science journal.