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204 Biomimetics: Biologically Inspired Technologies

increase, we now see a possibility of using the natural machines or creating synthetic ones from
scratch using nature’s components. This chapter focuses more on molecular machines and explores
various designs and research prevalent in this field. The main goal in the field of molecular
machines is to use various biological elements — whose function at the cellular level creates
motion, force, or a signal — as machine components. These components perform their prepro-
grammed biological function in response to the specific physiochemical stimuli but in an artificial
setting. In this way proteins and DNA could act as motors, mechanical joints, transmission
elements, or sensors. If all these different components were assembled together in the proper
proportion and orientation, they would form nanodevices with multiple degrees of freedom, able
to apply forces and manipulate objects in the nano-scale world. The advantage of using nature’s
machine components is that they are highly efficient and reliable.
Nanorobotics is a field which calls for collaborative efforts between physicists, chemists,
biologists, computer scientists, engineers, and other specialists to work towards this common
objective. Figure 7.2 details the various fields which come under the field of bio-nanorobotics
(this is just a representative figure and not exhaustive in nature). Currently this field is still
developing, but several substantial steps have been taken by great researchers all over the world
who are contributing to this ever challenging and exciting field.
The ability to manipulate matter at the nano-scale is one core application for which nanorobots
could be the technological solution. A lot has been written in the literature about the significance
and motivation behind constructing a nanorobot. The applications range from medical to environ-
mental sensing to space and military applications. Molecular construction of complex devices could
be possible by nanorobots of the future. From precise drug delivery to repairing cells and fighting
tumor cells, nanorobots are expected to revolutionize the medical industry in the future. These
applications come under the field of nanomedicine (Freitas, 1999, 2003), which is a very active area
of research in nanotechnology. These molecular machines hence form the basic enablers of future
applications.
In the next section, we shall try to understand the principles, theory, and utility of the known
molecular machines and look into the design and control issues for their creation and modification.
A majority of natural molecular machines are protein-based which involve using the exact replica

Molecular
Dynamics Design Philosophy and
Logic
Quantum Laws Natural Laws Classical Dynamics
(Classical and Quantum)

Bio Informatics Nano Manipulation
Molecular Modelling and Imaging

Virtual Reality / Computational Experimental Micro/Nano
Haptic Interface Tools Tools Fabrication
Computation and Fabrication, Testing and
Simulations Algorithm and Drug Devlopment Development
Programming techniques
Bio-Nanorobotics

Molecular Biology System Bio Chemistry

System Understanding
and Material Design Neuroscience
Figure 7.2 Bio-nanorobotics — a truly multidisciplinary field.