On Mar 27, 2012, at 8:43 AM, timboconnor@... wrote:

I can't think of any particular model application for this off the top of my head,

NO TROLLING THE LIST!

but
it looks pretty interesting ... It's kinda fascinating that they can produce up-and-down
motion without any gears, wheels, cams, or other traditional 'mechanism' .
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/22/harvard_flat_pack_robot_bees/

Look at the scale of those things! This might be larger-scale than nanotech, but it's just as intriguing, and applicable to making things like operating scale-sized switch motors and semaphore actuators in N scale, and power systems for lots of other animations too. Kermit Paul, for one, would probably go nuts if he could get his hands on a fab plant like these guys have.
--
The miser stores and hoards his gold/The bee collects the summer's honey
When that miser's dead and cold/Well someone else will piss his money.
Porter quaffs down with a draught/The gentry have their achin' livers,
Water is all right in tea/For fish and things that swim in rivers!