Sign In
International
News release
From:
A tiny, transformable rover demonstrated successful autonomous operation on the Moon’s surface
A transformable, palm-sized rover successfully navigated the Moon’s surface autonomously and collected images of its surroundings, as described in a new study. The Japanese Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission deployed the rover on the lunar surface, after which the rover transformed from a tiny sphere into a wheeled robot that took images of the lander and its environment. Miniature robots have the potential to reduce payloads and to reach cramped spaces such as small vents and craters that are inaccessible to larger, conventional robots. However, smaller footprints can limit onboard resources and constrain locomotion capabilities – necessitating a tradeoff between size and autonomy. To address these challenges, Daichi Hirano and colleagues designed the Lunar Excursion Vehicle (LEV) system, comprising LEV-1 and LEV-2. LEV-1 is capable of direct communication with Earth and can move via a controlled hopping mechanism. LEV-2 can extend from a compact sphere (8 centimeters in diameter) into a two-wheeled rover with cameras and a tail stabilizer. LEV-2 transmits data wirelessly to LEV-1 for subsequent relay to Earth. On January 19, 2024, LEV-2 was released onto the lunar surface from the SLIM lander. LEV-2 then autonomously navigated around the lander, captured a series of images of its post-landing condition and surrounding environment, and transmitted the information to Earth via LEV-1. The rover operated for more than 100 minutes before losing communication with LEV-1. Hirano et al. speculate that hopping motions or battery depletion may have contributed to connectivity issues with LEV-1. “Although the capabilities of an individual small rover are inherently limited, the results highlight the potential of such platforms [...] as independent explorers, capable of accessing environments beyond the reach of a primary large spacecraft,” the authors write.
Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Dr Morgan Cable, Senior Lecturer in Space Science, Victoria University of Wellington
"Development of ultrasmall, mobile robotic architectures like this are very important for planetary exploration. This opens the opportunity to deploy a 'swarm' of tiny robots onto another world, where you can now envision sets of measurements made simultaneously across an environment (important for comparative studies) with robots that have the same instrument(s), or you could drop down many robots, each with a different payload, to allow coordinated science. Having multiple robots means even if you lose one, it's not a huge deal, so you could explore more hazardous environments that might be considered too risky for a more expensive, single spacecraft. The possibilities are endless!"
Attachments
Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.
