Colin Wetherbee

Research Interests

Medical Nanotechnology: Novel methods for overcoming rejection of nanoscale devices by organic tissue with applications pervading long-term research in the field.
Medical Nanorobotics: Supplement and replacement of human physiological components by nanoscale robots to provide more efficient bodily functions and immune response.
Artificial Intelligence: Methods of secure, reliable, and quick communication among independent nanoscale devices in a widely distributed network with minimal available computing resources.
Sensors: Nanoscale devices capable of quickly sensing biological molecules and assaying biological systems with minimal or zero power consumption.

Survey of current research in magnetic micro-actuation.
Fundamentals of wireless power transfer by magnetic induction.
Design and creation of modular polymer-based micro-robots for non-catheterized and non-invasive endoscopy and biopsy applications.
Design and construction of a prototype solenoid array to control navigation of magnetically actuated in vivo micro-robots.
Software engineering of an automatic control system for the solenoid array.

Survey of the current state of medical nanorobotics.
Review of the design and applications of the quantum cascade laser.
Review of research on single nucleotide resolution sensing of molecules by exploiting the electrical properties of the staphylococcal α-hemolysin heptameric transmembrane pore.

Co-author of a paper on nanoscale robot navigation of the human kidney, with special focus on egress from the body via the urinary tract.

www.cmu.edu - Carnegie Mellon University
www.ece.cmu.edu - Carnegie Mellon University Electrical & Computer Engineering