VR Could Accelerate Nanotech Reality
Today on Discovery Channel's News site, I have a piece about a specially designed nanoparticle that could offer targeted drug delivery.
The potential medical applications for these kinds of molecular machines are far reaching. But a lot of work still needs to be done before nanorobots are zipping through our blood stream like Bay Watch patrols.
A group of researchers are working to accelerate that mission by using virtual reality simulations, which are helping to advance the understanding how to interact with and control nanorobots inside the body. They published their results in a recent issue of Nanotechnology.
In one real-time simulation, nanorobots equipped with chemical, temperature and other sensors are charged with finding specific proteins inside vessels with varying diameters and bringing the proteins back to an organ for drug deliver. Some robots are tasked with the same job but have no sensors.
The results show
that nanorobots have a better chance of finding a target when they use sensors, and have more success in smaller
vessels, where there are fewer obstacles floating around.
It may seem obvious, but until the test is done, who knows. That's where VR comes in. It can also help researchers come up with a wish list of necessary technologies before they even exist.
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