micromachine
Life Science / Technology

A micro-sized machine, several hundredths of 1 millimeter to several centimeters in size, composed of micro-sized mechanical parts and drive mechanisms. Examples include various micro-sized medical robots; the massquito, developed by Tokugawa Heavy Industries and Tokugawa Pharmaceuticals, is a type of micromachine. A more common type of machine is a nanomachine, its use of organic parts allowing it to be even smaller than a micromachine.