DNA nanotechnology has revolutionized our ability to position matter at the nanoscale. Despite the widespread use of DNA in materials science, the preparation of custom DNA-based architectures is often time-consuming. A fully automated method to produce sequence and size-defined DNA nanotubes was created. Controlled positioning of non-covalent building elements by programming the sequential addition of desired building blocks yields complex DNA nanostructures where the total number of possible constructs increases as a power function of the number of differing rungs available. Using single-molecule fluorescence imaging and exploiting automation, the kinetics and yield of each synthetic step can be quantitatively determined. This procedure facilitates the iterative improvement of assembly parameters and reveals differences in assembly dynamics with distance to the support surface, as the nanotube is built up from the solid support. In this presentation, I will address the generalizability of the single-molecule-based platform, describe ongoing efforts toward increasing the robustness of our DNA-based nanoassemblies and describe new directions toward assembling architectures for biosensing.