Crystal atoms of whatever material is used for manufacturing them would be in the range between 10^-10m (hydrogen) to 1nm=10^-9m (complex atoms) diameter. Let's be optimistic and assume a 3nm cube=27 atoms for one switching element (something like a transistor) and 8nm including all wiring and insulation between them. For basic intelligence and autonomous functions, a minimum of roughly 1 million switching elements would be required. This makes a size of 800nm^3 for the electronics, the power supply, sensors and the mechanical parts still not included, let alone a microreplicator.
Nanotechnological components are small compared to electronic circuitry as of 1999 where 1 transistor is as big as a complete nanite, yet they are not submicroscopic. The microscopic views of the nanites in TNG and nanoprobes in Voyager suggest an even larger size, for they showed an even surface and didn't allow to distinguish single atoms which would have been possible even with present day technology.
------------------ "No, thanks. I've had enough. One more cup and I'll jump to warp." (Janeway, asked if she would like some coffee in "Once upon a Time") www.uni-siegen.de/~ihe/bs/startrek/
Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :
*Graham Chapman speak* Now, a nanoprobe is what we doctors call VERY SMALL. . . 8)
Posted by monkeyboy on :
They may be as big as a cell. Compare the size of the nanoprobe to the pics of them latching on to cells in scorpin on the docs screen
------------------ I did'nt do it.
Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
I have to check how big a cell is. Anyway, cells and nanoprobes have similar functionalities, yet, I expect the nanoprobes to be more cramped.
Posted by Simon on :
Nanoprobes would probably be more similar in size to ribosomes than cells. Ribosomes are one of the smallest known components of cells and perform many of the functions a nanite would have to. Since its been a while since I last took biology I don't lnow their exact size, but it is in the nanometer range.
Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
What type of cells have we seen together with the nanoprobes? Blood cells?
------------------ "No, thanks. I've had enough. One more cup and I'll jump to warp." (Janeway, asked if she would like some coffee in "Once upon a Time") www.uni-siegen.de/~ihe/bs/startrek/
Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
Erythrocytes 8�m. A nanoprobe of this size would be o.k.