Nanotechnology is present today, and we are making big advances in the field. Already we can create tiny molecular motors, and make tiny transmissions for those motors (as pictured in the GIF). We can also move atoms incredibly precisely. IBM made a short animation using this technique, and it is the future of atomic level manipulation. However, one of the biggest goals of nanotechnology--robots that create more robots--is still unreachable. They would need to be incredibly compact, and the biggest challenge in making such nanorobots is programming them with all the information necessary. So far all of our creations rely on outside forces or are completely mechanical, and building computers at that scale is the next big challenge. In addition, nanoparticles can have unintended consequences on both health and the environment. Some groups think that nanotechnology should be regulated by the government, while others think that this regulation would stifle research and development.
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