Vol. 3: Fantastic Voyage: Nano style

The Ubiquitous Society, Viewed from an Imaginative and Scientific Perspective

In recent years, the size of semiconductors has gotten smaller ― to the point that the industry is now entering what is known as the 45nm (nanometer) era. How amazing is this? Basically, 1,000 circuits (with additional space from the gaps in lithography included) can be fed into a spacing equivalent to a single strand of hair with a diameter of 0.1mm. This is truly amazing technology. Listening to such stories, my imagination grows.

Currently, there are several micro-size machines that are being built or under design, and they are for the most part associated with the term "nanotechnology". This association is misleading to a degree, because a micro-unit and a milli-unit are respectively 1,000 and 1,000,000 times that of a true nano-unit. However, should technology continue to advance, "nanotechnology" may very well one day be associated with its original meaning. Since there are tunnel currents in circuits, and abrasion and surfacing issues in electro-mechatronics, there is said to be a limit in how much smaller a machine can really get. Even so, there have been countless cases up to now where the pressure of demand has created unexpected technology.

Assuming that dreaming helps lead to advancements, let's imagine a few things. If a true "nanomachine" were to appear in front of us, how would our lives change? As I personally love anime and movies, I would want the machine to be a humanoid robot. Each would be small and they would work together. My imagination you ask? Let me introduce to you, the Little Squadron "Nanorangers"!

Before elaborating, let's first assume the height of a Nanoranger to be 180nm. Should the height be above this by even 1 digit, the height would go over 1?m (micrometer), and he/she would then not be a true "Nano" ranger. Let's also assume that 180nm is the maximum height that can be allowed to a Nanoranger, when a human is proportionately miniaturized by 1/10th and 1/100th of a scale.

This height would be equivalent to 1/1,000,000th the size of an average human. To such a tiny Nanoranger, the world would look immensely huge. For instance, a simple strand of hair would look like a huge cylinder with a massive 1km diameter. A flea would be a terror straight out of a movie… Just imagine a 10km-long gargantuan monster!

But wait, being so small has advantages, as well. One area where the Nanorangers could really exploit their small size would be in the medical field. As the smallest capillary blood vessels are said to be around 10?m, to a Nanoranger, this vessel would look like a 100m wide river. By patrolling (via a vehicle like a submarine?) inside an entire human body, the Nanorangers can help relieve people and their daily lives from attending painful medical examinations. Furthermore, should a lesion of some kind be found, a Nanoranger can report this to your nearby doctor. In even more severe situations where cancerous cells are found, the Nanorangers can fry away such problems with their "nanoblasters"!

The Nanorangers can bring beneficial results towards bacteria and viruses as well. The immune cells of the human body work in a way that it learns and creates an antibody from the actual causative factors. In other words, the cells don't learn immunity until they are infected once. To counter this cumbersome "experience and learn" process, a Nanoranger could research information on causative factors and pass that data on to the immune cells in advance. With this knowledge, infections could be stopped before they occur.

The Nanorangers can be effective outside of the body as well. For instance, let's think of a cedar pollen, which has a diameter of 30?m. The pollen is so small; it is not visible to the human eye. However, to a Nanoranger it would be like a balloon with a 300m diameter. Think about all of the pollen lurking inside the skin, beneath the pores… all can be shot down with nanoblasters! Thinking in this manner, the Nanorangers could in theory cure hay fever.

In addition, the Nanorangers can also contribute to dieting and the problem of obesity. It is said that body fat begins to be burnt when one's heartbeat is over 100 beats per minute. Taking this to note, a Nanoranger can pass false information that one's "heartbeat is over 100" to the fat cells (when in actuality it is not). As a result, people would be able to lose weight in their sleep. This is no doubt good news, but if we were to think this far, we will have to confront a new issue called "technology logic".

Good things can also be expected in the field of material engineering. To a Nanoranger, something minuscule as an atom is nothing more than grain of sand with a diameter of 1mm. There are objects smaller than this in laminated ceramic capacitors and the like, so for a Nanoranger, the task of reordering atoms would be similar to how engineers would design mobile phones. Atomic substances order atoms by a certain pattern when a specific condition is given. This is called "self-assembly". Nobel Prize winning chemist Hideki Shirai's discovery in electric conduction for plastic was also built on this self-assembly thinking. By shaping and ordering atoms in several ways using their "nano" tools, thereby creating conditions to induce self-assembly, the Nanorangers could contribute to more scientific discoveries ― and yes, even win Nobel Prize awards.

Speaking of atoms, substances in the real world only amount to 1/10th to 1/100th the intensity of theoretical figures. This is because fine interior cracks arise as a result of disorder occurring in atomic ordering. The Nanorangers can slip into these cracks and heal them by shuffling the atomic ordering or by physically filling the crack. This healing process contributes to the significant increase in intensity for a substance.

One area in which I personally find a lot of promise for the Nanorangers is in fixing computers. For current computers, after a circuit is physically damaged, fixing it is almost impossible. Having even one small damaged spot on a circuit could mean having to have to throw the entire board away. It is a tragedy that technology advancements have created, and it's quite frustrating.

From a Nanoranger's perspective, a 45nm circuit would be equivalent to a 45cm circuit, and a current 100nm I/O circuit would be a railroad rail. Taking this analogy in mind, the Nanorangers would be able to fix tiny circuits inside computers in a similar manner to the way railway maintenance workers analyze and fix rails. I can only think of how great it would be if the future was really like this!

As you can see, a lot of dreams can be realized with the Nanorangers. However it is a pity that they cannot be as active and effective outside the human body or apart from machines. So in an effort to broaden their stage, let's imagine that the Nanorangers follow the tradition of how hero squadrons use giant robots to bring justice and thwart evil. Yes, the Nanorangers can pilot giant robots also!

Let's say their robot is 100 times their height, 18?m, which is basically 1/5th the size of a strand of hair. At this size, bacteria would look like a mouse to the robot. The robot would be a bit too big to be able to venture inside a human's body, but it would be effective in other matters such as being able to keep food "fresh". As it is well known, the spread of bacteria directly causes food to get spoiled. This micro robot would be able to destroy bacteria and prevent such from spreading. By continuously disposing of bacteria, food ― whether it is sashimi, tofu, or anything else ― would stay fresh forever even in room temperature. In contrast to this, the robot can also control and breed bacteria to wield influence to fields such bio generation and scientific research.

Let's now think of another robot, one that is 1.8mm tall, 100 times the size of the aforementioned robot. This robot would be extremely helpful in cleaning. It would be able to push aside carpet hair, and scoop up dust and dead ticks. Being 1.8mm tall, the robot would be able to fight against living ticks. Hiding in a termite nest, the robot would be able to search and destroy all nuisances lurking inside homes. Since there is the chance of encountering a cockroach at anytime (for example, behind a refrigerator), the robot should be equipped with a pesticide loaded "milli" bazooka. Other areas in which the robot can help out in cleaning include computer keyboards, inside heat sinks of air conditioners, inside car engines, etc. At a height of 1.8mm, this little "big" robot would be effective in various areas.

The great thing about the Nanorangers is how they work unnoticed without saying a word. No matter how flamboyant and noisy they might try to be, we would not be able to see or feel them. Concerning the 18?m and 1.8mm robots, they would be working while we are away from the house. Then when we come back home, everything would be sparklingly clean and polished.

The Nanorangers ― bringing good results to places where people do not notice, all for the safety and happiness of people. I liken them to the Lilliputian shoe salesmen from the Grimm fairy tales. How great would it be if the power of science could create such lovable robots!

I have to say, the most attractive thing about the robots in the imaginative world is their artificial intelligence. Currently, humanoids can only operate by following programs and commands set by humans. They cannot judge and work things on their own.

In this aspect, Astro Boy is an exceptional robot. Astro Boy says himself, "I'm a robot. So, unlike humans, I can judge the good from the bad." So does this mean he has decisive powers beyond that of humans? Of course, it's something that was acquired by Astro Boy himself, and not something that was programmed into him. A human's brain is in a way, "programmed" with information through accumulation of various lifetime experiences. Atom's robotic brain probably works in this same way. With such a robotic brain, data can be gathered and organized in a speed and accuracy beyond that of a normal human being. As a result, Astro Boy can reach a intellectual state that even Confucius and Socrates could not reach.

However, there are certain things that cannot be learned through simple information processing, words, and pictures. For instance, how hot fire is and how sweet sugar is. These kind of things can only be attained through practical experience. Without this characteristic of the "senses," it is impossible for a robot to think in the same way as a human. In other words, a robot must have a body that can feel senses, and be able to carry emotions similar to a human.

Doraemon is a excellent robot with respect to this. He has a insatiable craving for dorayaki and a weakness in mice. He also has feelings. For instance, he feels Nobita's frustration when Nobita is bullied by Jaian, and he helps Nobita when he feels it is necessary. Without these kind of traits, a robot cannot become a friend with a human in a real sense.

When robots advance to this level where they can carry emotion, the "Three Laws of Robotics" becomes a problem. These are the three rules written by the prolific science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. They state that [1] "A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;" [2] "A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;" and [3] "A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law." Not to take anything away or challenge this great belief, but I feel it's a pity that these laws are based on the thought that humans are greater than robots. It seems as if we are creating a wall against robots. I believe Astro Boy, robotic detectives, and others all deserve to be treated equally as us humans.

One of the AIBO developers I met recently said to me, "My dream is to make a robot that can fall in love with a human." For people and robots to be able to get that close, I feel that first we humans need to rethink certain things and be challenged.

What a robot needs is... not power, but emotion!