MEMO Project

Timeline

After the first announcement in February 2018, 23 teams have declared an interest to participate in the second Nanocar Race. 13 teams from eight countries have sent by mid-2018 their pre-registered form for Nanocar Race II: seven teams are from Europe, two from Japan, two from China, and three from North America. Since the beginning of 2019 and after discussions, the organization committee is proud to announce that 8 of those 13 teams are actively preparing the Race to be ready for March 2022.

Each selected team has two years to consolidate its design for the announced surface and Nanocar Race class, for the synthesis of the molecule-vehicle and the training. For the final online registration in 2020, each pre-selected Nanocar Race team had to provide to the organizing committee the following information:

1. The molecular structure of the molecule-vehicle engaged in the race.
2. STM/AFM image of the molecule-vehicle on selected surfaces for ambient or LT-UHV.
3. Demonstration that its molecule-vehicle is drivable with no mechanical push.
4. The definitive list of its sponsors (private, public).
5. The anticipated name of the pilots which will be in Toulouse for the Nanocar Race II.

In the year 2020, a member of the organization committee had visited 4 ot the 8 teams to get a detail knowledge of their preparation level and of the remote control protocol to be used. This team visit round was stopped in March 2020 and will hopefully restart end June 2021. Four teams over the 10 have already get their official certificate to participate. In June 2021, the International committee decided to perform during September 2021 a complete new visio-interview of all the 8 teams to finalize equally the certification step after the Covid break. Those interviews are performed with the active participation of the concerned French Embassy and “CNRS Office” on the concerned countries.

The European FET OPEN project MEMO (Mechanics with Molecules) is organizing this 2nd international Nanocar Race (Nanocar Race II). Sponsors are also very welcome. The “Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie” is our first official sponsor for 2022, and the Publisher Srpinger the second one since September 2021. All teams will compete at the same time in a remote controlled mode from Toulouse and will meet at the Toulouse CEMES-CNRS G. Dupouy campus (France) in 2022 for about a week for training and then to nanorace via the public network. The competition will be freely live broadcasted.