Designing invisible machines: M.E. offers insight

Mechanical engineers know that, in theory at least, they can design working mechanisms that are smaller than a spec of dust.

So, now what?

The cover story in this month's issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine offers some insight from two researchers into where the technology for nano devices is going and can go.

Both researchers gave presentations in December at ASME's first Nanotechnology Conference. ASME is organizing more meetings on this emerging technology for later this year.

So they don't have to completely reinvent the wheel, researchers at Cornell University are borrowing from the techniques of Mother Nature. In one case, as a researcher explains in the Mechanical Engineering magazine cover story, they used an enzyme to power a biomolecular motor.

But as another researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, points out in the story, the materials used in biological mechanisms are environmentally sensitive. Enter the need for mechanical engineers to find a way to fill in the gaps.

The story will be available online at www.memagazine.org after Feb. 10.

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