Hedgehog Robots Would Hop and Tumble on the Surface of Planets

Posted on October 6, 2015

NASA is studying a new robotic concept that could be used in on surfaces that would not support a wheeled robot like the rovers. The Hedgehog robot can perform maneuvers like hopping, tumbling and flipping. The project is being developed by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laborator, Stanford University and MIT.

Issa Nesnas, leader of the JPL team, says in a statement, "Hedgehog is a different kind of robot that would hop and tumble on the surface instead of rolling on wheels. It is shaped like a cube and can operate no matter which side it lands on."

NASA says the robot could be used to explore the microgravity environment of comets and asteroids by hopping and rolling around on them. One concept of the robot has it built with spikes which act as feet for the robot as it hops and tumbles around. These spikes could also house instruments to measure the planet's surface. The researchers have a found that a cube shape works best for the Hedgehog robot.

The Hedgehog robot can also perform an escape maneuver called the tornado. In the tornado maneuver the robot aggressively spins to launch itself from the surface. The tornado move could be used by the robot to free itself from a sinkhole or quicksand like surface.

Here is a look at the Hedgehog robot in action. The tornado maneuver can bee seen at the 1:40 mark. Take a look:

Benjamin Hockman, lead engineer on the project at Stanford, says in a statement, "The geometry of the Hedgehog spikes has a great influence on its hopping trajectory. We have experimented with several spike configurations and found that a cube shape provides the best hopping performance. The cube structure is also easier to manufacture and package within a spacecraft."



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