X-Message-Number: 21010
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 13:48:34 +0100
From: Henri Kluytmans <>
Subject: Nano robotic arm

Yvan Bozzonetti wrote :

>the nanomanipulator case as an example.
>At near atom scale, there is no rigid, well defined objects and surface, at 
>least when simple atom stacking is used. To move atom and molecules with
some 
>efficacity, tools must have a control system finner than the atom scale they 
>want to move. This can't be done with a minute robot arm, even built frm 
>single molecules.

That it can be done with a macroscopic "robot arm" has already been proven 
by the placement of atoms and molecules using scanning tunneling microscopes.
(For example the famous IBM logo made of 35 xenon atoms in 1989.)

For example, applying 1 volts across a 750 micron thick piezoelectric 
crystal causes it to deform by ~0.4 nm. PZT crystals are commonly used 
to provide movement of samples being examined in scanning probe micros-
copes such as STMs and AFMs. AFMs can achieve a resolution of 10 pm. 

--

Why do you claim that movements of less than atomic scale can't be 
done using a microscopic robot arm ?

For conceptual MNT designs of possible microscopic positional 
devices see :

http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/6dof.html

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