Designing On a (Really) Small Scale

By Lisa Agustin

Nanotechnology is science and engineering at the scale of atoms and molecules. Think about these futuristic-sounding scenarios, described by the New Scientist:

Imagine a world where microscopic medical implants patrol our arteries, diagnosing ailments and fighting disease; where military battle-suits deflect explosions; where computer chips are no bigger than specks of dust; and where clouds of miniature space probes transmit data from the atmospheres of Mars or Titan.

Now think about what would be involved in designing these materials and devices–objects that are so tiny that nothing can be built any smaller. The NS Technology blog recently posted a link to NanoEngineer 1, software that lets nanoengineers create moving blueprints for their nanoscale designs. The NanoEngineer site’s gallery of animations includes intricate gears and bearings, among them a first-time simulation of the Drexle-Merkle Differential Gear. (A much larger version of this kind of gear lets the wheels on a car rotate at different speeds as it goes around a corner.) While the static model did a good job of describing the gear’s internal assembly, the animation adds another level of understanding to how the various components work together.

For the New Scientist Technology blog: http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/2006/06/nanoengineers-toolbox.html

For more information on nanotechnology: http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/nanotechnology