The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a new concept robot called Hedgehog that can tumbling and working on microgravity small celestial bodies.
Traditional spacecraft, such as the Curiosity Mars Detector, advance on wheels like a car and cannot be turned over. However, on small asteroids such as asteroids and comets, gravity is very weak, and with the rough surface environment, traditional driving methods become difficult. The "Hedgehog" robot, designed and developed by NASA's Pasadena Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is expected to overcome these challenges.
According to NASA's official website, the basic design concept of "Hedgehog" is to install a built-in flywheel that can roll and brake on a cube filled with nails. The flywheel drives the cube forward and the nail protects it. The robot is protected from the rugged terrain and acts like a foot when jumping and rolling. “Hedgehog is a different kind of robot. It moves forward and on a specific surface. It is shaped like a cube, and it works freely regardless of the ground.†Research team leader Isa Nesnas said.
JPL Labs and Stanford University designed two prototypes for the Hedgehog. In June of this year, NASA tested them through C-9 aircraft that simulated the microgravity environment. After 180 parabolic flights, the Hedgehog robot has drilled a variety of situations that may be encountered on small celestial bodies: gravel, rocky, smooth, or loose and fragile. "Hedgehog" has repeatedly proved himself. It can perform long-distance jumps under the support of one or two nails, and can also roll over short distances. One of the experiments simulated the environment of the tornado. As a result, the "Hedgehog" robot "jumped up" and launched himself from the surface and escaped the danger.
Researchers say that the unique geometry of the "Hedgehog" robot makes it portable and easier to manufacture than traditional detectors, so it costs less. They are working to improve the robot's autonomous controllability so that it can work on its own without the need for Earth commands.
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