Orange County, CA - September 7th, 2018 - A nanorobot is a tiny machine designed to repeatedly perform specific tasks with precision, on a near atomic level. They are measured in nanometers (one billionth of a meter); interacting on the same level as bacteria and viruses.
Associate Professor Li Zhang, and a team of scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong developed, and implemented a strategy to get nanoparticles to group and move as swarms. Researchers used oscillating magnetic fields to create highly reconfigurable ribbon-like swarms of nano-robots. They are able to perform structural changes such as merging, splitting, extending, and shrinking with a high degree of accuracy.
One objective the researchers had was to copy the actions of swarm behavior found in nature. Bird flocks, fish schools, and even bacteria colonies exhibit swarm-like behavior. Through communication, modular units can work with each other to accomplish tasks that individual agents can’t."The high reconfigurability is a key discovery. The nano-bot swarm can be operated in a controlled fashion with a high speed, which has never been reported before," said Associate Professor Li Zhang.
Due to the strict regulations on human testing, nano-robots are just in the research and development stage of production. Researchers hope to manipulate the nano-robots to resolve blood clots and assist with targeted drug delivery to cells.
Zhang and his team will continue to work with medical teams to find out the exact potential of nano-robots in the medical field; specifically by the nano-robots addressing gastrointestinal diseases by maneuvering through the digestive tract.
