Space

ESA concept robot video depicts the future of space exploration

ESA concept robot video depicts the future of space exploration
Concept rendering of a future lunar rover robot
Concept rendering of a future lunar rover robot
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Concept rendering of a future lunar rover robot
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Concept rendering of a future lunar rover robot
Robot assisting in loading a vehicle
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Robot assisting in loading a vehicle
Lunar rover mission control
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Lunar rover mission control
Future rover scanning the terrain by laser
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Future rover scanning the terrain by laser
Future rover discovering a steep slope
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Future rover discovering a steep slope
The rover's wheels transform into legs
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The rover's wheels transform into legs
A wheel/leg plays triple duty as an arm
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A wheel/leg plays triple duty as an arm
Transporter robot with module secured
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Transporter robot with module secured
Transporter robot picking up a module
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Transporter robot picking up a module
Transporter robot positioning module
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Transporter robot positioning module
Telepresence robot connecting service lines
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Telepresence robot connecting service lines
Robot pushing dirt to form a foundation for the module
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Robot pushing dirt to form a foundation for the module
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Robots have become a mainstay of space exploration. From rovers to chatty anime robots on the International Space Station, they have already proven their worth in many ways. But what will the space robots of the future look like? The European Space Agency has released a video showing advanced robotics designs for lunar and planetary exploration. The concepts include multifunction robots designed for both autonomous space exploration and to aid astronauts in working on other worlds.

ESA has had a keen interest in robotics for decades and as the 2018 launch date for its ExoMars rover approaches, that interest grows ever keener. The new ESA video is designed to give us some idea of what future robot explorers will look like by showing them in action in a hypothetical lunar scenario.

Future rover discovering a steep slope
Future rover discovering a steep slope

Here we see a concept of a future lunar rover using a laser to scan the terrain in front of it. In this case, the red of the laser indicates that it’s detected a rough, sloping terrain that will be difficult to navigate. The wheels of the rover may seem over complex and the general design of the robot a bit simple, but there’s a reason for this.

The rover's wheels transform into legs
The rover's wheels transform into legs

Instead of going around the slope, the rover unfolds its wheels to reveal that they transform into legs. It then scuttles up the hill like an insect.

Lunar rover mission control
Lunar rover mission control

Back on Earth, mission control follows the course of the rover using a virtual display of its activities. Here we see it identifying and mapping a rock for sample collection.

A wheel/leg plays triple duty as an arm
A wheel/leg plays triple duty as an arm

The transformer wheels on the rover aren't just for walking. They also take the place of arms. Here we see one that has unfolded, picked up a collection module from the rover, and is using it to take a sample of a rock.

Transporter robot picking up a module
Transporter robot picking up a module

Over the years, there’s been a lot of talk about lunar colonization, but nobody seemed very interested in how you unload the cargo after it lands. ESA presents a solution with this robotic forklift designed to grapple cargo and other modules and carry them to the moonbase.

Transporter robot with module secured
Transporter robot with module secured

Here we see the module tucked on the robot lifter for transportation after prepositioning it for final offloading.

Transporter robot positioning module
Transporter robot positioning module

Once on site, the lifter now changes duty and positions the module to link to others used to make up the base. In this case, the module appears to be an airlock for a habitat.

One vexing problem that has become familiar in building the International Space Station is that space construction isn't just a matter of docking modules together. There’s also the tedious work of hooking together power lines, air hoses, water pipes, data links, and so on. This fiddly work is hard enough on Earth, but on the Moon wearing gloves that are inflated plastic gauntlets, its like threading a needle with a hammer.

Telepresence robot connecting service lines
Telepresence robot connecting service lines

In the picture above we see an ESA concept teleoperator robot coupling a service line while an astronaut looks on. Depending on the sophistication of the system, the robot might either do this autonomously or under the guidance of an astronaut in a shirt sleeve environment inside the base.

Robot pushing dirt to form a foundation for the module
Robot pushing dirt to form a foundation for the module

Here’s one thing building a space station doesn't involve; moving dirt. With the module attached, an astronaut uses this service robot to push lunar soil up against the module to provide it with a foundation. Such earth-movers (or moon-movers) will be especially important in building lunar bases, since they’ll probably need to be buried under berms to protect them from cosmic radiation.

Robot assisting in loading a vehicle
Robot assisting in loading a vehicle

ESA also sees robots as all-round workhorses for space. Here we see a service robot assisting an astronaut in loading cargo or installing batteries on a rover unit.

The ESA video can be seen below.

Source: ESA

Advanced-concept robots

View gallery - 12 images
4 comments
4 comments
Paul Adams
love the wheels reminds me of transformers with 3D printers couldn't robots print/assembled more robots or whatever. Eventually using materials from there location.
Slowburn
The lunar surface is it self radio active do to the neutron bombardment from cosmic sources so it is important to dig down to nonradioactive dirt for the construction site and material.
Brad Arnold
That's advanced? How about the 3D printer and the mining equipment to produce toner for it from the planetary surface?
Dr. D
JPL is also experimenting with a flexible rover. Their prototype is already quite capable. It's called the ATHLETE, which In the language of NASA acronyms, stands for "big, bad robot." http://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/systems/systemVideos.cfm?System=11