Road Map of Micro-Engineering and Nano-Engineering from Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Viewpoints(<Special Issue>Micro Mechanical Engineering)

A new road map of future trends in micro-engineering and nano-engineering was established from the viewpoints of manufacturing and mechanical engineering. This road map was made by evaluating the results of questionnaires given to the leading engineers including elected trustees of the JSME, and by considering the discussions during the "International Symposium of Micro-Mechanical Engineering (ISMME2003)" held on December 2003 in Tsuchiura and Tsukuba, Japan. The micro- and nano-engineering were categorized from the manufacturing viewpoint. The road map shows the important trends in micro- and nano- engineering, which include new technological areas, as well as technical development, new manufacturing processes, and new kinds of mechanical engineering. The road map also estimates, from the engineering standpoint, the expected time for practical application and technological breakthroughs.