Baby Steps Towards Molecular Robots

December 12, 2014

(Phys.org) – A walking molecule, so small that it cannot be observed directly with a microscope, has been recorded taking its first nanometre-sized steps. It’s the first time that anyone has shown in real time that such a tiny object – termed a ‘small molecule walker’ – has taken a series of steps. The breakthrough, made by Oxford University chemists, is a significant milestone on the long road towards developing ‘nanorobots’.