Microrobots and nanorobots: a review of recent developments

Purpose – The paper aims to provide a technical review of recent developments in microrobots, together with a less detailed consideration of nanorobotics. Design/methodology/approach – Following a brief introduction, this paper describes a number of recently reported microrobot development activities. It then briefly considers the emerging field of nanorobotics. Findings – Microrobots are the topic of a major research effort and many different technological approaches are under study. Critical issues are power and locomotion and magnetic methods are attracting much attention. Nanorobots are at a far earlier stage of development and most are based on DNA‐based molecular technology. Key applications for both classes of device are anticipated in microassembly, healthcare and nanotechnology. Originality/value – This paper provides a timely review of recent microrobot and nanorobot development activities.