Riled Up/Riled Up Archive/Article
Author: Hugh Bollinger/Wednesday, October 16, 2019/Categories: video, space science, art and design, environment, adventure
LEONARDO robot spinning on one leg (credit: CalTech/CAST)
Small robots would be ideal explorers for Mars if they can be built cheaply and move easily across the diverse terrains common on the Red Planet. Engineers and designers at CalTech, working in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, have created new autonomous robot, LEONARDO (LEgs ONboARD drOne), that can maneuver difficult surfaces using thruster jets and propellors to maintain proper balance. LEONARDO is being developed by the Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST) and the early prototypes are doing impressive maneuvers.
Maybe in a few years time these small devices will be hop, skip, and jump across the Martian landscape making important discoveries on their own.
WHB
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