Lecturer: Ram Prasadh Narayanan
Host: Shlomi Dolev
The research scope is a
proof-of-concept for nanorobots in the blood for medical diagnosis and
treatment. In the first part of the work, I will discuss the design of energy
harvester, detection and actuation modules, which overall, can be defined as
the main modules of the nanorobot. Glucose hunger based cancer detectors
immobilized on the nano-robot, reduces its electrical resistance when attached
to a cancer cell. This mechanism, in turn, allows the electric current to
activate a nano-electrical-mechanical (NEM) relay (mechanical
transistor) to break a chamber
ceiling, exposing a drug identified by the immune system for cell elimination.
This concept is in line with the effort to design an autonomous computational
nano-robot for in-vivo medical diagnosis and treatment. A collective system of
electrical manipulation, bio-detection, and NEM actuation can be visualized as
programmability. The concept can also be considered as a step to bridge the gap
between theoretical swarming/navigation techniques and computational hardware
for plausible implementation of the theory.
I will also detail an implementable
model and simulation of an oscillating Carbon Nanotube (CNT) for radio
communication in nanorobots. We developed a model to predict the oscillation frequency
of the cantilever beam based on its properties, including the device geometry.
The primary functional component of the system is the electrically chargeable
cantilever beam which oscillates due to its electric charge and discharge,
where the discharge happens when the cantilever moves closer to the counter
electrode. I will also discuss ways of synchronized communication between the
nanorobots and an outside entity. This also definitively means an
intra-communication between the nanorobots themselves. Synchronization of
nanorobots can be inspired by nature.
The robots can synchronize amongst
themselves with a common decided signal. Assuming arbitrary incoherency
(initially) for all particles in the medium, it can be shown that coherency
improves over time within each subset of particles due to the stronger and
mutual influence of one particle on the others. Subsequently, within a finite
time-bound, all particles in the system synchronize to a common oscillation
frequency, thereby creating a strong coherent pulsating (radio) signal. As the particles
are assumed to be identical in geometry and physical properties, the
convergence time depends on their distribution, energy, and the way they
interact.
Summarily, We propose an autonomous
non-organic nanorobot design with blood energy harvesting capability, and can
detect a biological phenomenon and actuate a response. The nanorobot is
designed with computational and communication capability, so that a swarm of
these nanorobots act inclusively.
