Nanobots are molecules with unique properties that allow them to be programmed to carry out specific tasks. These tasks include but are not limited to:
Convert heat into kinetic energy: This was seen in the single-atom engine that physicists from the University of Mainz in Germany created in 2014. The machine works like a regular car engine, which transforms the heat energy from fuel to make the vehicle run.
Run repetitive tasks: Mechanical engineers from Ohio State University showed this nanobot capability when they created a three-dimensional (3D)-motion nanomachine from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in 2015. DNA, of course, refers to the genetic materials in any living organism. The researchers hope that one day, their creation can work like “DNA origami,” which can change shape, depending on the task they’re assigned to do.
Deliver medicine through biological fluids: Dubbed “nanoswimmers,” these magnetically controlled nanobots can be made to deliver drugs through a patient’s bloodstream. These are especially useful for cancer treatment, which need to be applied only to cancer-ridden cells.