NIRT: Nanorobotics

该研究项目是响应纳米科学与工程倡议，NSF 01-157，类别NIRT资助的。 Nanorobotics关注（1）通过使用微观或宏观器件操纵纳米级物体，以及（2）总体尺寸在纳米级（或具有微观尺寸但具有纳米级组件）的机器人的构造，控制和编程。该项目涵盖了这两个方面，因为这两个方面都很重要：纳米操纵是迄今为止开发的用于纳米系统原型设计的最有效的过程，而尺寸与生物细胞相当的纳米机器人预计将在环境监测和医疗保健方面具有革命性的应用-例如，在病原体的早期检测和破坏方面。最初的研究将偏向于操纵，重点是通过使用扫描探针显微镜（SPM）的尖端作为感觉机器人，实现在以前的NSF赠款中开发的可靠和准确的纳米操纵技术的自动化。 纳米机器人的建造工作将开始在一个较低的水平，但随着项目的发展而增加。它将整合传感器，执行器，控制，电源，通信和跨空间尺度和有机/无机以及生物/非生物系统之间的接口的研究。这项工作的理论和实验结果将有助于理解机器人在大的空间不确定性的领域，和NEMS（纳米机电系统）的发展。该软件将被广泛分发，对从事纳米操纵和纳米光刻的科学家和工程师非常有用。 该项目将涉及各个层次的学生，从博士后到少数民族高中生，他们将接触到这个新的跨学科领域。这项研究将通过会议辅导和新的正规大学课程进一步与教育结合起来。例如，2002年春季学期开设的纳米机器人学研究生课程将通过纳入该项目的研究结果而得到发展，并将在2002年IEEE纳米技术会议上提供基于该课程的教程。

This research project is funded in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Initiative, NSF 01-157, category NIRT. Nanorobotics is concerned with (1) manipulation of nanoscale objects by using micro or macro devices, and (2) construction, control and programming of robots with overall dimensions at the nanoscale (or with microscopic dimensions but nanoscopic components). This project covers both of these aspects, because both are important: nanomanipulation is the most effective process developed until now for prototyping of nanosystems, and nanorobots with dimensions comparable to those of biological cells are expected to have revolutionary applications in environmental monitoring and health care-for example, in the early detection and destruction of pathogens. The initial research will be biased towards manipulation, with a focus on the automation of techniques developed in previous NSF grants for reliable and accurate nanomanipulation by using the tip of a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) as a sensory robot. Work on nanorobot construction will begin at a low level but increase as the project evolves. It will integrate research on sensors, actuators, control, power, communications, and interfacing across spatial scales and between organic/inorganic as well as biotic/abiotic systems. The theoretical and experimental results of this work will contribute to the understanding of robotics in domains with large spatial uncertainties, and to the development of NEMS (Nanoelectromechanical Systems). The software will be widely distributed and will be very useful to scientists and engineers working in nanomanipulation and nanolithography. The project will involve students at all levels, from postdocs to minority high-school students, who will be exposed to this new and interdisciplinary field. The research will be further coupled to education through conference tutorials and new, regular university courses. For example, a graduate course in nanorobotics offered in the Spring semester of 2002 will evolve by incorporating the research findings of the project, and a tutorial based on the course will be offered at the 2002 IEEE conference on nanotechnology.