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Friday, February 20, 2009 - 4:10 AM
Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire. The next-generation Mars rover may be a rough-and-tumble robot
that can roll down steep slopes, clamber over rocks, and can even be
lowered down cliff faces into deep craters. The prototype, called Axel,
takes its name from its simple design–a single axle with two wide,
toothed wheels. A video shows that the rover is undeterred by sandy soil, uneven terrain, and other impediments that it can expect to encounter on Mars.
Axel is considerably more nimble than the rovers that are currently
trekking across the Martian landscape, Spirit and Opportunity. When
faced with the unknown slipperiness of a crater’s sloped sides, these
part-autonomous robots require huge input and planning on behalf of
their Earth-bound controllers–the scene has to be imaged, and the
driving route planned with minute precision lest the ‘bots six small
wheels become irrevocably jammed in the rocks [Fast Company]. http://louis8j8sheehan8esquire.wordpress.com
The simple bot is powered by only
three motors: one to control each of its two wheels and a third to
control a lever. The lever contains a scoop to gather lunar or
planetary material for scientists to study, and it also adjusts the
robot’s two stereo cameras, which can tilt 360 degrees [Universe Today]. The lever can also be used to help maneuver the rover if it does get stuck. http://louis8j8sheehan8esquire.wordpress.com
Axel’s final trick is its tether, which can be attached to another,
larger rover. That rover can then lower Axel down like a yo-yo,
allowing it to dip in and out of craters. Issa Nesnas of NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Lab says that “because Axel is
relatively low-mass, a mission may carry a number of Axel rovers. That
would give us the opportunity to be more aggressive with the terrain we
would explore, while keeping the overall risk manageable” [MSNBC]. Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire
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