Soft Robots for NASA Space Explorations
Disciplines
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics | Engineering Science and Materials | Robotics
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Robots are an essential part of space exploration, and NASA has been relying on them for decades to help get people and equipment into space. With the help of these machines, humans have been able to explore far beyond our planet's atmosphere and into deep space. Robotic rovers that are currently in use often get stuck on planets they are exploring, and they need help fixing the issue. For example, Spirit got stuck in soft sand on Mars in 2009, and InSight’s solar panels got covered with dust, and it eventually died without a power source in December 2022. One possible solution to this problem is to use new materials and actuators to perform space operations on unfamiliar and constantly changing terrains. These robots serve as the primary space explorers who will send vital information to scientists before any potential human exploration. The use of soft robotics provides new opportunities for space exploration. It can eliminate some of the limitations of previous rovers, making them more efficient in exploring different areas of space. The primary focus of this research is to create and control a soft-bodied robot that can adapt to different environments. Various 3D printed designs and autonomous systems made with Robot Operating System (ROS) 2 will be used to achieve this goal. The brain of the prototype will be constructed using ROS 2 and a microcontroller such as Arduino or Raspberry PI, and the body will be 3D printed using materials similar to soft biological material. The result will be a prototype that can navigate simulated terrains and make decisions without human interference or supervision. The prototype is expected to navigate simulated terrains and make decisions without human interference or supervision. It will also be able to interact with other objects in the simulated environment, such as picking up objects to analyze and sending pictures and data of the objects back to the user.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
SPCEET - Engineering Technology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Turaj Ashuri
Soft Robots for NASA Space Explorations
Robots are an essential part of space exploration, and NASA has been relying on them for decades to help get people and equipment into space. With the help of these machines, humans have been able to explore far beyond our planet's atmosphere and into deep space. Robotic rovers that are currently in use often get stuck on planets they are exploring, and they need help fixing the issue. For example, Spirit got stuck in soft sand on Mars in 2009, and InSight’s solar panels got covered with dust, and it eventually died without a power source in December 2022. One possible solution to this problem is to use new materials and actuators to perform space operations on unfamiliar and constantly changing terrains. These robots serve as the primary space explorers who will send vital information to scientists before any potential human exploration. The use of soft robotics provides new opportunities for space exploration. It can eliminate some of the limitations of previous rovers, making them more efficient in exploring different areas of space. The primary focus of this research is to create and control a soft-bodied robot that can adapt to different environments. Various 3D printed designs and autonomous systems made with Robot Operating System (ROS) 2 will be used to achieve this goal. The brain of the prototype will be constructed using ROS 2 and a microcontroller such as Arduino or Raspberry PI, and the body will be 3D printed using materials similar to soft biological material. The result will be a prototype that can navigate simulated terrains and make decisions without human interference or supervision. The prototype is expected to navigate simulated terrains and make decisions without human interference or supervision. It will also be able to interact with other objects in the simulated environment, such as picking up objects to analyze and sending pictures and data of the objects back to the user.