Spectrum of pathways
Direct path
Typically: Start with better materials then scaling system complexity.
★ Early nanosystem pixel (direct path) (proposed by the author of this wiki)
Related concepts:
– 2D rail-frame based distributed modular pick-place assembly system
– RepRec pick-and-place robots (GemGum)
Direct path leaning mixed path
Soft nanotech sprinkled into hard nanotech. See page: Mixed path
Incremental path leaning mixed path
Hard nanotech sprinkled into soft nanotech. See page: Mixed path
See pagges: Stiffness focusing & Foldamer technology stiffness nesting
[Incremental path]] and Mixed path
Typically: Start by scaling system complexity then go to better materials.
Most true to that order are:
- Foldamer robot approach (incremental path)
- Protein carpentry (just protein focus with this one)
Most liberal approach:
- Modular molecular composite nanosystem (proposed by Eric Drexler - multi foldamer technology)
Weakening the concept of "mechanosynthesis" to the logical limit:
A questionably viable shortcut.
By far not a "molecular assembler" (further below) but
a monolithic unit and more than just an assembly stage.
- Foldamer printer approach (incremental path) (proposed by Eric Drexler)
The foldamer printers kinematic loop compressed down to the minimum and border of recognizability. Also an attempt to squeeze a sellable product into the purely structural foldamer robot approach.
Same as catalysis constuction kit approach but just binding as an easier sub problem.
- Functional block construction kit approach (was focus of OpenNano Starup - unfortunately ended)
Dead ends
Direct path taking a turn for scaling system complexity too early
Hypothesizing without expeimental access.
This is not to be confused with proper explotratory enginering (EE) where that is ok.
EE which is predicting small aspects of farther futuer targets with huigher reliability
by having a good base and huge safety margins.
molecular asembler (outdated)
In place mechanosynthesized ultra compactly self replicating proto-assembler (outdated).
All proposals that are in essence basically the same proto-assembler idea. Even if tacked to a surface. <vr>
As so e.g. is present with: "Primitive Nanofactory Design by Chris Phoenix - October 2003"
See page: Discussion of proposed nanofactory designs
Synthetic biology - taken true to it's name
Synthetic biology when taken true to it's name.
I.e. aiming to mimicking life life like diffusion transport dominated soft nanotech.
When hard focused on just that and noting else.
Incremental path taking a turn for improving on materials way too early
The Catalysis construction kit approach and to lesser degree but still
the Functional block construction kit approach.
The kinematic loop is too tight for the early primitive foldamer materials
not allowing for proper separation of concerns and one is head on running into
the fat finger problem and the Positional assembly redundancy blockade.