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A nanofactory is a proposed system in which nanomachines (resembling molecular assemblers, or industrial robot arms) would combine reactive molecules via mechanosynthesis to build larger atomically precise parts. These, in turn, would be assembled by positioning mechanisms of assorted sizes to build macroscopic (visible) but still atomically-precise products. A mite next to a gear set produced using MEMS, the precursor to nanotechnology. ...
A molecular assembler is a molecular machine capable of assembling other molecules given instructions, energy, and a supply of smaller building block molecules to work from. ...
An industrial robot is un-officially defined by ISO (Standard 8373:1994, Manipulating Industrial Robots – Vocabulary) as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or more axes. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with mechanochemistry. ...
A typical nanofactory would fit in a desktop box, in the vision of K. Eric Drexler published in Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing and Computation (1992), a notable work of "exploratory engineering". During the last decade, others have extended the nanofactory concept, including an analysis of nanofactory convergent assembly by Ralph Merkle, a systems design of a replicating nanofactory architecture by J. Storrs Hall, Forrest Bishop's "Universal Assembler", the patented exponential assembly process by Zyvex, and a top-level systems design for a 'primitive nanofactory' by Chris Phoenix (Director of Research at the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology). Kim Eric Drexler (born April 25, 1955) is best known for popularizing the potential of hypothetical molecular nanotechnology. ...
1992 was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...
Ralph C. Merkle (born 2 February 1952) is a pioneer in public key cryptography, and more recently a researcher and speaker on molecular nanotechnology and cryonics. ...
John Storrs Hall is regarded as one of the most significant thinkers in the field of molecular nanotechnology. ...
Chris Phoenix, co-founder (with Mike Treder and Director of Research at the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN), has studied advanced nanotechnology for more than 15 years. ...
In 2005, a computer-animated short film of the nanofactory concept was produced by John Burch, in collaboration with Drexler. Such visions have been the subject of much debate, on several intellectual levels. No one has discovered an insurmountable problem with the underlying theories and no one has proved that the theories can be translated into practice. However, the debate continues, with some of it being summarized in the Molecular nanotechnology article. Molecular Nanotechnology (MNT) is the projected ability to use nanotechnology for molecular manufacturing, an anticipated technology based on positionally-controlled mechanosynthesis guided by molecular machine systems. ...
If nanofactories could be built, severe disruption to the world economy would be one of many possible negative impacts. Great benefits also would be anticipated. Various works of science fiction have explored these and similar concepts. The potential for such devices was part of the mandate of a major UK study led by mechanical engineering professor Ann Dowling. The report is complete. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...
The Ford Essex V6 engine Mechanical engineering is the application of physical principles to the creation of useful devices, objects and machines. ...
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