Medical Nanobots: How Close Are We to Human Trials?
Medical Nanobots: How Close Are We to Human Trials? 1. Introduction: From Sci-Fi to the Lab Microscopic robots patrolling our bloodstream feel like something straight out of Fantastic Voyage —tiny machines navigating arteries, fixing damage, and dissolving disease from the inside out. But in research labs worldwide, a quieter revolution is unfolding: the development of micro- and nanorobots designed to operate inside the human body. How are nanorobots different from nanoparticles? Ordinary nanoparticles—already used in some cancer drugs—rely largely on passive transport and biochemical targeting. Micro/nanorobots , by contrast, are engineered to move, sense, and perform tasks , often under external control. This active functionality is what makes them “robotic,” even though they have no onboard computers. The excitement comes from what such robots could potentially enable: precise, targeted drug delivery minimally invasive navigation inside blood vess...
