Nanotechnology Design Brief

Background:
You were just recruited to work for a secret engineering society that is researching
scientific breakthroughs that will change the world as you know it! They are working
on the nanoscale and need your creativity and design skills to accomplish the great
challenges ahead.

Once you obtain the funding, you must design a nanobot and come up with a
marketing plan following the defined constraints below.

FOUNDATION BUILT ON RESEARCH
Part 1- Receiving funding for your project

Problem:
Researching nanotechnology and building a nanobot is very expensive.
Therefore, you need funding from the government. However, at the present
time, they have not even heard of this new science. Therefore, be sure to
include answers to the following questions in your final presentation

Nanotechnology Web Quest
1) What is nanotechnology? (Make sure you define it in your own words!)
2) How would you explain to a 10 year old how small a nanometer is? Use
comparisons (of your own) in your explanation.
3) Where is nanotechnology being used today?
4) What is so groundbreaking about nanotechnology? What makes this field of science worthy of the funding
it requires?

Web Quest Constraints:
1) Your answers must be recorded in YOUR own words (no copying and pasting from the internet).
2) As always, you must include the proper citations where needed.


ENGINEERING DESIGN
Part 2 Designing your Nanobot

Problem: Research the 14 Grand Challenges of Engineering defined by the National Academy of
Engineering (http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/) and, with your team, select the challenge that is of the
most interest to you. Then, your team will invent something like no other product in existence. Your nanobot
must have a positive impact all across the globe because your engineering society wants to use your product to
justify the continuation of government funding towards the untapped field of nanotechnology. This could be a
turning point for not only you but the future generations to come!

Design Constraints:
1) Your nanobots purpose and how it relates to one (or more) of the Grand Challenges of Engineering
must be clearly outlined.
2) You must show proof of the early design phases (the pencil phases) with dates included
brainstorming, sketches, decision matrix, detailed sketch for final design, team meeting notes, etc. In
addition, you must present proof of the later design phases, including refinement and metacognition.
As always, you will record this information in your journals, but for the final product, you will need to
summarize this work using scanned pictures or photos.
3) You must define if your nanobot works independently or in a group. If a group is required, you must
identify how many nanobots it takes to successfully accomplish the task ahead.
4) Each part file for your nanobot must use at least one work plane and four 3D features.
5) Your nanobot assembly must be formed from at least four ipt files. Every team member is responsible
for the creation of at least one part file.
6) Your nanobots size dimensions must be shown in an .idw file, and your dimensions must be realistic
and on the nanoscale (largest size dimension less than or equal to 100nm).
7) You must create an .avi file that shows how your .ipt files come together.
8) All of the components above must be included in your final product.

Design Criteria:
1) Your design must be creative.
2) Your nanobot must have a positive impact on society as a whole, specifically addressing one or more
of the 14 Grand Challenges of Engineering.
3) Your design must be detailed and mathematically accurate.


INNOVATION EXTENSION
Part 3 Developing a Business Plan for your Nanobot

Problem:
Before unveiling your product, you must make sure you identify how it will be mass produced and packaged,
specifically addressing the issue of size. Your marketing strategy will be vital strong enough to educate
consumers and convince them to buy something on faith - something they can not see nor touch

Marketing Constraints:
1) You must address the issue of packaging and how to package in a way that
will ensure your nanobots do not escape from or get absorbed by the packaging
material.
2) Please outline all phases of production from the supplier to the
manufacturer to the distributer to the wholesaler to the retailer and finally to the
consumer.
3) Your design and your business plan must be presented in 4-6 minutes with the type of excitement that
is contagious. Your audience will determine whether or not to release your product to the public, and
they are known to only approve 30% of the projects presentedBe sure your presentation is easy for a
general audience to understand but technical enough to explain the design.
4) You need to include a physical scale model that can be used for marketing your product. (The
constraints and criteria for this model are outlined in the corresponding rubric.)



Writing / Discussion Questions (To be completed at the start and at the end of the project):
* What are three ways that you expect nanotechnology could impact your lifestyle in your future?
* What are some potential issues with nanotechnology?
* Is nanotechnology an advancement or a threat? Support your answer.
* Would you drink water that contained purifying nanoparticles? Why or why not?


See Nanotechnology Rubric Sheet for how each phase of this project will be assessed.