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Bar-Cohen : Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies DK3163_c007 Final Proof page 201 21.9.2005 11:41am

7

Bio-Nanorobotics: A Field Inspired by Nature

Ajay Ummat, Atul Dubey, and Constantinos Mavroidis

CONTENTS
7.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 202
7.2 Biomolecular Machines: Background and Significance...................................................................... 205
7.2.1 Significance............................................................................................................................. 205
7.2.2 Brief Review of Biomolecular Machines............................................................................... 206
7.2.2.1 The ATPase Motor................................................................................................. 207
7.2.2.2 Kinesin and Myosin................................................................................................ 208
7.2.2.3 The Flagella Motors ............................................................................................... 208
7.2.2.4 Other Motors and Mechanisms .............................................................................. 209
7.2.2.5 DNA-Based Molecular Nanomachines, Joints, and Actuators.............................. 209
7.2.3 Nanosensors ............................................................................................................................ 210
7.3 Design and Control Philosophies for Nanorobotic Systems ............................................................... 210
7.3.1 The Roadmap.......................................................................................................................... 211
Step 1: Bio-Nano Components............................................................................................... 211
Step 2: Assembled Bio-Nanorobots ....................................................................................... 212
Step 3: Distributive Intelligence, Programming and Control ................................................ 213
Step 4: Automatic Fabrication and Information Processing Machines ................................. 213
7.3.2 Design Architecture for the Bio-Nanorobotic Systems.......................................................... 214
7.4 Self-Replication — Mimetics: A Novel Property of Living Systems................................................. 218
7.4.1 Significance............................................................................................................................. 218
7.4.2 Applications ............................................................................................................................ 219
7.4.3 The Design of Life-Mimetic Systems .................................................................................... 219
7.4.3.1 Intrinsic Material .................................................................................................... 220
7.4.3.2 Interaction Laws..................................................................................................... 220
7.4.3.3 Self-Balancing ........................................................................................................ 220
7.4.3.4 Growth and the Reproductive Limit ...................................................................... 220
7.4.3.5 Self-Filtering and Self-Healing.............................................................................. 220
7.4.4 Self-Replication — A Thought Experiment........................................................................... 221
7.4.5 Design Parameters for Self-Replicating Systems................................................................... 223
7.4.5.1 Selection of Intrinsic Materials.............................................................................. 223
7.4.5.2 Defining the External Gradient Parameters ........................................................... 223
7.4.5.3 Generating Stable Alignment and Internal Gradients............................................ 224
7.5 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................... 224
References....................................................................................................................................................... 225

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