Nanorobots have dimensions on the order of nanometers (a nanometer is a millionth of a millimeter).
Nanorobots, like their larger counterparts, can be categorized into two groups, called autonomous robots and insect robots.
- An autonomous nanorobot contains its own onboard nanocomputer, which controls the machine and allows it to operate independently.
- An insect nanorobot is one of a fleet of several, or many, identical units that are all controlled by a single, central computer.
Nanorobots are of special interest to researchers in the medical industry because it has been suggested that a fleet of self-replicating insect nanorobots might act as a vaccine against disease.
Such nanorobots might even serve as antibodies or antiviral agents in patients with compromised immune systems, or in diseases that do not respond to more conventional measures.
The nanorobots would work by seeking out and destroying specific bacteria, fungi, or viruses and they have potential applications in the assembly of small-scale, sophisticated systems.
Nanorobots might function at the atomic level to build devices, machines, or circuits one particle at a time.
A major asset of nanorobots is the fact that the individual units require very little energy to operate and durability is another potential asset; since nanorobots might remain operational for years, decades, or centuries.
High speed is also a significant consideration for nanorobots because nanoscale systems can operate much faster than their larger equivalents because displacements are smaller which allows mechanical and electrical events to occur in less time at a given absolute speed.