Nanotechnology is the ability to manipulate atoms at the molecular level to create almost anything in all facets of life. It was first introduced by physicist Richard Feynman in 1959.

Nanotechnology is two things: first it is the creation of microscopic nano robots that will be able to manipulate these atoms and rearrange them to create something completely different. Second, it is a term of measurement. Nano refers to a mathematical size equivalent to a billionth of a meter. When the research requires size tables, the abbreviation nm is used to show the size.

The technology that is being used to create this process is still in the early stages of development. The two hurdles that scientists face are: being able to manipulate individual atoms at the molecular level, and then creating these nanorobots to assemble the atoms to create things and to replicate each other.

This technology is far from becoming obsolete. Scientists believe that when this technology reaches maturity, it will have a more profound impact on the twenty-first century than TVs and computers did on the twentieth century. They believe that maturity may not come for another fifty years or more.

No person or company owns exclusive rights to Nanotechnology. What is needed is a research facility with high-tech equipment and brilliant minds to go with it. This will also need to be funded by millions of dollars.

Many large colleges and universities across the country such as Stanford, Purdue, and MIT. Nasa is also working on this technology as well as the Department of Defense and the military.

The government and military are working very hard on making prototypes. They are making uniforms with this technology in mind to heal soldiers as they walk. The medical field wants a prototype that can fight disease such as the common cold or even Cancer and Aids. Automobile companies and possibly any company with an assembly line manufacturing process could use this to create their product.

Nanotechnology can be used for hundreds even thousands of applications in many fields. It can be used to fight germ warfare and heal soldiers. It can make steel hundreds of times stronger than it is currently, which has hundreds of applications by itself. It can even repair vehicles made of steel in real time. It can be used to fight disease inside the body. It may even be able to change the way you look and slow down the aging process.

Any new electronic products that come out can be made by these nanorobots. They can be made stronger, smaller, even lighter. All new automobiles could be made with the stronger steel, making the vehicle safer for passengers and possibly saving lives. They could perform surgery on people and leave no noticeable scars at all. They can create clothing with stronger fibers which will result in stronger material that wont rip and tear so easily.

This technology is used today but on a much larger scale. Humans and machines assemble products every day for our use. This technology takes it another step further by doing what we are already doing, but on a microscopic scale. As this technology matures along, scientists believe that most manufacturing processes will be replaced by Nanotechnology.

This is very much a transitional product. Since it is still several years away and still in early development, new ways to use this technology will become available for decades to come.

I have been able to find anything and everything I have needed for this IA. There was more information than I could use. There wasn't anything on this IA that I had trouble finding.

I found most of my information on education sites and commercial sites that are strictly technology based.

Most of these sites seem to be pretty reliable. Most of them say the same thing about the future of Nanotechnology. Many of these sites are colleges and universities doing research in the hopes of making this a reality someday soon. It is hard to say how credible any of the information I find on this technology is because everything at this point is in theory for how it is supposed to work.

The process I used in getting research for this project was to get an idea of what I wanted to talk about as well as reduce the amount of information I had to create a clear idea for my web site.

Most manufacturing companies will use Nanotechnology, as well as the government, the armed forces, NASA, and hospitals. They will have the best capability of using this because the average person just doesn't have a way to use it directly. The upside for the average person is that they will benefit from all the great products invented from this technology.

Currently this market is in research only. Mostly universities and high tech companies are using it. When it becomes a reality, everyone will be a market for the companies who use Nanotechnology to make goods. Those goods will be better than others made by current manufacturing processes.

It will be everywhere in our lives. Demographically everyone will be a target. Most will be an indirect benefactor to it but factories and processing plants and any high tech facility will buy it.

The endless possibilities of what this technology can do drives this market. Also, the constricting miniaturization theory holds that we will have to come up with a new way to manufacture things because we are approaching the limits of current manufacturing processes.

Some restraints of this technology is getting it off the ground. Everything is still mostly theory at this point but it is only a matter of time before it is tested in real world applications. Also, being able to move atoms and create microscopic robots is the first large hurdle to getting it off the ground.

The future of this market is ever-changing. It will be a series of "baby steps" with each new accomplishment leading to another hurdle. The market will change every time a new goal is met. At first simple items will be all that can be produced. In time, the medical field will want it for surgery and to fight disease to name a few. NASA will want it to further space exploration. The government will use it to make stronger tanks, faster jets, and better uniforms for its soldiers. So as this technology gets better and better, the market will change with it. Consumers will benefit continuously from advancements in this field.