![]() It is clear that planetary surface exploration activities would be greatly improved if the astronauts did not have to carry a PLSS to maintain life support functions. ![]() The added weight of the spacesuit garment andportable life support system (PLSS) drives the required exertion level of the wearer, and ultimately sets limitations on EVA duration, distance traveled on foot, and productivity of the exploration mission.No parameter in the design of spacesuits for planetary exploration is more important than “weight on the back”: the weight of the suit system which must be supported by the wearer under the gravity of the Moon or Mars.Examples include transporting large and heavy objects, traversing long distances with minimal power consumption, creating communication networks to communicate to surface from deep hard-to-access areas.īiobot: Innovative Offloading of Astronauts for More Effective Exploration David Akin, University of Maryland, College Park Graphic depiction of Biobot: Innovative Offloading of Astronauts for More Effective Exploration (Image courtesy of D.In addition to all-access, cross-domain mobility, shapeshifter morphs into other functional systems to carry out a diverse set of tasks.Shapeshifter can morph into a ball that rolls on the surface, a flight array that can fly & hover above-surface and move in subsurface voids, and a torpedo-like structure to swim under-liquid efficiently, among other mobility modes.Each cobot is extremely simple with minimal design consisting of a few propellers as actuators.Shapeshifter is a flying amphibious robot (FAR), comprised of smaller robotic units (each referred to as a cobot) which combine to shapeshift into different mobility modes.caves), floating on a lake surface and propelling under an ocean. The proposed robotic platform is capable of mobility across domains including flying in the atmosphere, rolling on a smooth surface, navigating subsurface voids (ex.Shapeshifter is a novel system concept for all-access and cross-domain mobility on bodies with atmospheres.(Image courtesy of Ali Agha, Jose Mendez, JPL) “The concepts can then be evaluated for potential inclusion into our early stage technology portfolio.” The selected 2018 Phase I proposals are: Shapeshifters from Science Fiction to Science Fact: Globetrotting from Titan’s Rugged Cliffs to its Deep Seafloors Aliakbar Aghamohammadi, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California Shapeshifters exploring Kraken Mare by self-assembling/disassembling to different shapes. James L. Reuter, Acting Associate Administrator within NASA’s STMD “The NIAC program gives NASA the opportunity to explore visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions by creating radically better or entirely new concepts while engaging America’s innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey,” explained Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). If these basic feasibility studies are successful, awardees can apply for Phase II awards. Phase I awards are valued at approximately $125,000, over nine months, to support initial definition and analysis of their concepts. The 2018 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I concepts cover a wide range of innovations selected for their potential to revolutionize future space exploration. ![]() The agency selected 25 early-stage technology proposals that have the potential to transform future human and robotic exploration missions, introduce new exploration capabilities, and significantly improve current approaches to building and operating aerospace systems. ![]() NASA is investing in new technology concepts that include meteoroid impact detection, space telescope swarms, and small orbital debris mapping technologies that may one day be used for future space exploration missions. ![]() ![]()
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