Engineers from Android Technology NPO and Alpha Robotics Venture Foundation are working on a centaur-like lunar colonization robot.
The device will consist of an anthropomorphic body part, which repeats the structure of a person from the waist up, mounted on a movable four-wheeled platform. The developers say that the body part of the future robot is already ready and tested on the ISS. A person will be able to remotely control it using a virtual reality helmet and an exoskeleton whose movements are completely replicated by the machine. The operator suit will be equipped with a tactile and force feedback system – the user will be able to sense objects with which the robot is in contact. In addition, the device will be equipped with a drone.
The wheels of the platform will be equipped with an indelible titanium tread and “eternal” bearings – this will allow you to continue working even if several of them fail. They will be independent of each other, each will have its own engine and will rotate around its own axis, which, according to the developers, will help increase maneuverability. In addition, an additional manipulator can be installed on the wheeled part, which will allow the robot to repair itself.
The Centaur robot will also have the option of autonomous operation – it will be “equipped” with artificial intelligence. For example, the device will be able to independently conduct some types of research, in particular, the collection of lunar soil. The wheeled part will receive its own control system and will be able to continue to perform its duties in case of failure of other elements.
The robot needs to be powered by solar panels on the wheel or from nickel-63 atomic batteries. The main tasks of the apparatus will be the construction of the Russian base on the Moon and its preparation for the arrival of the crew.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
