DFKI's Space Rovers and Hexapods Will Team Up on Other Planets

Why send just one robot into space when you could send two robots into space instead?

We did it with Spirit and Opportunity, and that worked out great is mostly still working out great. It would have been working out even better, though, if we’d let Spirit and Oppy get each other’s backs and team up to do some extra exploring. That’s the idea that DFKI Bremen has been testing with its pair of space robots: a four wheeled rover named SHERPA and a hexapod named CREX.

Here’s an overview animation that should give you a good idea of how these two robots are intended to work together, with CREX stowed safely away under SHERPA’s belly until it’s ready to come out and play. The project as a whole is called RIMRES, for Reconfigurable Integrated Multi Robot Exploration System.

As the concept video shows, the idea here is that whenever SHERPA finds an especially exciting piece of geology (like a cliff or a crater), it can send CREX and all six of its legs down to investigate. JPL has been working on something similar with its Axel rover, specifically designed for crater entry.

Speaking of exciting pieces of geology, the reason that the whole Spirit and Opportunity thing is only mostly working out great is because Spirit got stuck in a bad patch of sand and couldn’t get out. While JPL tried a bunch of different techniques to free the rover, an especially clever little kid (seven years old, name of Julian) sent in this idea:

Unfortunately, Spirit’s arm wasn’t strong enough to lift it, but DFKI isn’t having any of that with SHERPA.

The Latest Bing News on:

Space Rovers

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover collects first sample of its new science campaign
on March 31, 2023 at 11:36 pm
As part of its new science campaign on the Red Planet, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is exploring the top of Jezero Crater's delta. On Thursday, March 30, the six-wheeled rover collected a rock ...
SpaceX's Starship Megarocket Slated to Deliver This Wild Lunar Rover to the Moon
on March 31, 2023 at 3:32 pm
Read more These Winning Close-Up Photos Show Life That's Often Overlooked Remembering Enterprise: The Test Shuttle That Never Flew to Space How To Drop a Pin in Google Maps Astrolab, in partnership ...
Astrolab to send rover to moon on SpaceX mission
on March 31, 2023 at 2:16 pm
Venturi Astrolab Inc. is teaming up with SpaceX after the rocket company agreed to transport Astrolab’s Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover on the next SpaceX mission to the moon. Through ...
SpaceX Starship will launch this new private moon rover in 2026 (video)
on March 31, 2023 at 1:30 pm
Hawthorne, California-based Astrolab has reached an agreement with SpaceX to launch its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover on an upcoming Starship mission to the moon ...
Is NASA Done Sending Traditional Rovers to Mars?
on March 31, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Gif: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS In February 2021, NASA landed a $2.7 billion rover on Mars that has been roaming the Red Planet ever since. The space agency got what it paid for, as the largely autonomous ...
Astrolab’s FLEX Rover to be Launched on Upcoming SpaceX Mission to the Moon
on March 31, 2023 at 12:22 pm
Today Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab), announced it has reached an agreement with Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) for the company to transport Astrolab’s Flexible Logistics and Exploration ...
This electric and solar-powered FLEX Rover is hitching a ride with SpaceX to study the moon
on March 31, 2023 at 11:01 am
With its solar-powered electric Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) Rover, Venturi Astrolab is on a mission to move humanity ...
Astrolab to send rover to the moon on SpaceX’s Starship
on March 31, 2023 at 7:23 am
Lunar rover developer Astrolab has signed an agreement with SpaceX to transport its first rover to the moon on a future Starship flight.
Space official calls for China to seize crucial opportunity to establish lunar infrastructure
on March 31, 2023 at 2:22 am
Space official calls for China to seize crucial opportunity to establish lunar infrastructure A top Chinese space official has called for the country to speed up its plans to develop lunar ...
Not NASA, this university's students will send the first American lunar rover to the Moon on May 4
on March 30, 2023 at 8:39 am
The moon rover, called Iris, will be sent aboard the Peregrine lunar lander on United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket.

The Latest Google Headlines on:

Space Rovers

[google_news title=”” keyword=”Space Rovers” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]

[/vc_column_text]

The Latest Bing News on:

Off world rovers

Land Rover celebrates 75 years
on April 1, 2023 at 2:58 am
The NSW town of Cooma is holding a special ceremony of 75 years since the Land Rover arrived for work duties at the proposed Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme. Cooma is regarded as the spiritual home of ...
Range Rover TD6 (L322) | Shed of the Week
on March 31, 2023 at 9:08 pm
Like Defenders, old Range Rovers exert a thrilling mix of desire, fascination and abject terror on those who think they absolutely have to have one, i.e., most of us. Shed gets the exact same feeling ...
Troy Deeney contract latest as Blackburn Rovers give Birmingham City heads up
on March 31, 2023 at 8:00 pm
All of the latest Birmingham City news from BirminghamLive featuring Scott Hogan, John Eustace on Troy Deeney and Blackburn Rovers team news ...
‘Absolutely wonderful’: Victoria Irish Rovers co-founder celebrates nomination.
on March 31, 2023 at 5:00 am
Popular Irish-Canadian band ring in 60 years of uplifting spirits with a tour and a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination.
Forest Green Rovers top first ever Sport Positive EFL league table
on March 31, 2023 at 3:50 am
Forest Green Rovers have topped the first ever Sport Positive League for the English Football League (Championship, League One and League Two), getting a perfect score in the environmental ...
Opinion: Summer signing is giving Blackburn Rovers a Bradley Dack dilemma
on March 30, 2023 at 7:21 am
However, under new head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson, Dack initially struggled for opportunities, starting just three times in the Championship prior to the break for the World Cup between November and ...
Money is my love language… I’d rather use it to help people than show off with 50 Range Rovers, says Anthony Joshua
on March 28, 2023 at 1:14 pm
His rewards have been London 2012 Olympic gold, two heavyweight world title runs and millions ... because I am some baller buying fifty Range Rovers and saying, ‘F*** you, you can’t come ...
Bristol Rovers' young internationals all victorious as Liverpool prospect scores winner in Spain
on March 27, 2023 at 4:31 am
Rovers had a weekend off from League One action after Luca Hoole ... Centre on Saturday as preparations continue for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May. He played a pivotal part in ...
Perseverance rover snaps gorgeous shots of drifting predawn clouds on Mars (photos)
on March 23, 2023 at 2:00 pm
NASA's Perseverance rover imaged drifting predawn clouds on the Red Planet recently, taking a brief break from its ongoing search for signs of ancient Mars life. Mars is a dry and dusty planet, but ...
The Land Rover Defender 90 Is More Capable Than You Think
on March 19, 2023 at 6:45 am
Land rover Defender 90 has a lot of skin in the game. The Land Rover Defender 90 is better at off-roading than you know.