Nanomotor Fits In A Single Cell, Hits 18k RPMs

Nanotechnology is a fascinating field, one that holds a lot of promise and more than a few intriguing developments. One of the latest comes from engineers at the University of Texas at Austin who developed the fastest and smallest nanomotor in the world.

The nanomotor, featured above, is small enough to fit within a single cell and can be used to power equally tiny devices, none of which currently exist (but are now possible, thanks to the ultra-tiny motor). These little devices can be used in future medicine, among other applications.

Previous nanomotors that have already been developed run at an average of 5,000 RPMS (which is pretty impressive in itself), but the latest development blows them all away, operating at more than twice that with 18,000 RPMs.

The nanomotor is made from three small parts, and measures in at under 1 micrometer. When running at max speed, the nanomotor can run for 15 hours non-stop. As stated in the video, both AC and DC electric fields are used, with researcher Donglei Fan pioneering the technology.

VIA: Gizmodo