bmcc5231
- Technology
Inflatable Surveillance Balls for Mars
By next fall, NASA plans to launch its biggest Red Planet rover yet, the $1.8-billion, SUV-size Mars Research Laboratory. Even though the MRL will be able to haul five times as much equipment as the Spirit and Opportunity rovers that are already on Mars, a group of Swedish researchers say that they could accomplish far more if accompanied by a squad of helper ’bots. Fredrik Bruhn, the CEO of Ångström Aerospace Corporation, and his colleagues have designed the small inflatable scouts to assist bigger, less mobile rovers in their hunt for signs of microbial life on Mars.
10.22.2008 at 07:45pm - Comment by bmcc5231I don't think durability should be a concern whatsoever. There are several materials that could carry out this job sufficiently. The fact of the matter is, if you actually think that the movment this type of robot could be controlled, you're dreaming. This would be a perfect idea if you were intending on using a large number of these things and taking a more chaotic approach to scope out entire regions. But for precision analysis of pinpointed areas, sending a beachball into a sandstorm won't get you the desired results. Weight to surface area ratio would send this thing flying.
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December 2009: Best of What's New
In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.
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