NanoRobotics for NEMS

NanoRobotics is the study of robotics at the nanometer scale, and includes robots that are nanoscale in size and large robots capable of manipulating objects that have dimensions in the nanoscale range with nanometer resolution.

NEMS (NanoElectroMechanical Systems) with novel nanoscale materials (e.g. carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) and structures (e.g. telescoping CNTs and Nanocoils (NCs)) will enable many new nanosensors and nanoactuators.

NEMS based on Unique Effects at the Nanoscale

• Scaling Effects-Mechanical frequencies increase in small systems.
  e.g. GHz CNT resonators (13GHz, CO 64.2 THz, cf. MEMS 1V/mm, MEMS: >100V/mm)
• Tunneling Effect, Schottky Effect and Field Emission.
  e.g. Low Turn-on Field CNT Emitters (>1V/mm, MEMS: >100V/mm)
• Ultra-low Friction in Symmetric Molecular Scale Systems.
  e.g. pN order inter-layer friction in MWNTs