Basically, the robotic is being established to autonomously map, pass through, and check out formerly unattainable locations on Earth, the Moon, and other worlds in our planetary system.
We’re talking adaptability that handles sand, snow, ice and even moving listed below water, all the while producing a 3D map of its environments utilizing 4 sets of stereo electronic cameras and lidar (utilizing brief laser pulses rather of radio waves).
Specifically, it is resolving a requirement to come down vents on Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus and go into the subsurface ocean, so it requires to be very flexible and not the typical robotic equipment.
Our innovation editor just recently covered this – see NASA’s snake robotic is moved by screws
First prototyped in 2019 and now at Eels 1.0, he composes, it has 10 similar sections along its 4m body, which weighs 100kg.
He describes the beyond each sector can turn, and forward propulsion originates from 200mm size screw-like structures around each sector that bite into loose surface areas or otherwise grip harder surface areas. The screws can be switched depending upon environment – it has actually been checked on sand, snow and ice…
“It has the capability to go to locations where other robots can’t go. Though some robots are better at one particular type of terrain or other, the idea for EELS is the ability to do it all,” said JPL’s Matthew Robinson, EELS task supervisor.
“When you’re going places where you don’t know what you’ll find, you want to send a versatile, risk-aware robot that’s prepared for uncertainty – and can make decisions on its own.”
You can find out more about EELS here.
Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
See likewise: The robotic eel, swimming with sensing units
