Scientists have created a tumbleweed for the Moon: the robot will pass where others get stuck

Developers from Texas A&M University under the direction of Robert Ambrose is working on a robot in the form of a ball to explore the Moon. 

Unlike traditional rovers with wheels to move, the new robotic system in the form of a ball will simply roll on the uneven lunar surface. The project RoboBall was developed by NASA back in 2003. 

After Robert Ambrose found himself in a robotics and automation design lab at the University of Texas, along with students Rishi Jangale and Derek Pravechek, he revived the RoboBall project and received funding from the university. 

The developers managed to create prototypes of RoboBall II and RoboBall III, designed to study, how spherical robots can be used to explore the surface of the Moon. In particular, RoboBall II has a diameter of 61 cm. It consists of a soft outer shell, and inside it contains a pendulum propulsion systemand axle-mounted motors.

As the pendulum swings, it transmits an impulse to the sphere, causing it to roll in the desired direction, changing the angle of inclination. According to the test results, the device successfully moved on grass, gravel, sand, and even water at speeds of up to 32 km/h. 

RoboBall III is an improved version of RoboBall II with a diameter of 183 cm. It is designed for more practical use and can carry payloads, including cameras, sensors, and sample collection tools. It moves in the same way as RoboBall II and can also deflate and inflate to change its grip and provide the ability to work on different surfaces with low wear rates.

Next, the developers plan to conduct field tests on the beaches in Galveston. They want to test the device’s ability to move from water to land. In addition, the team is exploring ground applications, including search and rescue operations.

Source: New Atlas