This would overcome the necessity of integrating microprossessors into the “nanobots” helping conserve space. Instead, the nanobots, or nanotechnology would get their direction from computers located outside the patient (using microwave, or radiowave communication). Thus, for example we might have nanbots that could do two functions “swim”, and release a “protolytic” mixture. An outside source might direct the nano machines to cancer tumors using active MRI/PET/and or CT scans for direction. One there the bots would simply release their payload and then perhaps either be dissolved (depending of what they were made of) of actively leave the body by making their way to the small intestine (or better yet perhaps lodge themselves into the tumor to make it very antigentically active with regard to the patients immune system).
But then the bots would have to send a signal as to where they were at minimum, and likely some method of visualizing their surroundings. Transferring this amount of data throught the body would take power and where are you going to put the antennae? Not to say it wouldn’t work though.
Yeah, and how are you going to find the nanoremote when it gets lost in the couch??
/sorry
I guess it also depends on how literally you mean “remote controlled”. It may be difficult to integrate the mechanisms needed for you to use a joystick to drive a nanobot around the body. But, there are currently nanoscale structures that can have their behavior mediated by an outside stimulus. I’m thinking specifically of nanoshells , which have tunable resonance properties. These structures can be tuned to absorb energy (and produce heat) at specific wavelengths of light (such as near-infrared) that mostly passes through our soft tissue. So, if these structures are inside the body, you can cause them to heat up by shining a laser at that wavelength over the area you want to affect (such as a tumor, etc.).
Not exactly like using an RF remote control, but it is in a sense controlling their behavior with a remote stimulus.
I think that you would still need a processor. Its fine that the nanobots can now receive information through radio, however, unless you have some method of determining what a signal means your wasting your time.