1 Multiple limbs
Six identical limbs provide support and manipulation for ATHLETE, giving six degrees of freedom: three motions and three rotations for the wheels and tools at the tips.
2 Central chassis
Constructed as either a single hexagon or two connecting triangles, the central chassis is the base for the six limbs and would carry the cargo or exploration payload.
3 Tools
The flexibility of the limbs means that they can collect a variety of tools and manipulate them like a dedicated robot arm. The tools are powered with the wheel motors.
4 Multiple wheels
Each limb has a wheel and motor at the end. These combine with the limbs to drive the ATHLETE rover in any direction or rotation.
5 Grappling
JPL engineers have even looked at equipping ATHLETE with a grappling system so that it would be able to scale vertical terrain, making it a true go-anywhere robot.
6 Cargo module
Standardised modules would be used for landing supplies or base components on other planets, so the handling robots could always collect whatever payloads arrived.
This story is from the Issue 110 edition of All About Space.
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This story is from the Issue 110 edition of All About Space.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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