"What's truly special about this robot are its sturdy wheels, made of flexible metal strips woven together into a helix-like pattern that give it the ability to expand and contract like a piece of kinetic art. "Experimental results show successful traversal of 200-millimeter [7.8 inches] obstacles, stable mobility on rocky and lunar soil simulant surfaces, and resilience to drop impacts simulating a 100-meter [328 feet] descent under lunar gravity," write the scientists in a new paper published in the journal Science Robotics."
"Because it can grow from nine to 19.6 inches in diameter, a rover with these wheels is able to distribute weight more evenly along its body. The result is a bot robust enough to navigate tricky cavern landscapes, along with the ability to fit into tight spaces in its smallest configuration. Other robots have used hinges or " origami-inspired folds " which can be vulnerable to lunar surface hazards, according to the paper."
"The scientists demonstrated the wheel's robustness and ability to travel around or over obstacles by having the rover explore a real cave here on Earth. They also used a drone to drop it in the air, and blasted it with fire and cold. The metal in the wheel itself is made from light weight carbon steel strips, making them tough but elastic. "Consequently, the wheel could absorb impacts and navigate uneven terrain while remaining robust under extreme lunar conditions," the paper reads."
A prototype rover uses wheels made from flexible carbon-steel strips woven into a helix-like pattern that expand and contract. The wheels grow from nine to 19.6 inches in diameter, allowing weight distribution across the body and the ability to fit into narrow openings. Tests demonstrated traversal of 200-mm obstacles, stable mobility on rocky and lunar soil simulant, and resilience to drop impacts simulating a 100-meter lunar descent. Earth tests included cave navigation, aerial drops, and exposure to fire and cold. The wheel design absorbs impacts, navigates uneven terrain, and resists vulnerabilities associated with hinged or origami-inspired folding mechanisms.
Read at Futurism
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