Japan to send ‘transforming robot’ to the Moon in 2022
- Reference: 1622089686
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/05/27/jaxa_transforming_moon_robot/
- Source link:
The space agency [1]announced its plans and revealed the design depicted below today. You’re looking at a device JAXA says will be 80mm in diameter, before transformation, and weighs in at 250 grams.
[2]
JAXA’s design for a transforming moonbot.
Click to enlarge
The ‘bot will travel to Luna on a 2022 mission conducted by Japanese space upstart [3]ispace . JAXA suggests the device will be spherical at launch, then “transform into a running form” depicted at right in order to trundle about the surface of the Moon on a mission to ascertain what it will take to build a larger, pressurised, vehicle capable of carrying crew on the moon.
JAXA and Toyota have teamed to make what The Register likes to call the “Space HiAce” a reality, as part of Japan’s contribution to the [4]Artemis project.
[5]Japan accuses Chinese military of cyber-attacks on its space agency
[6]We got it! Japanese space agency confirms its probe has Ryugu asteroid samples
[7]No, it's not the trailer for the new Dune, it's the potential view from the 'Super Hi-Vision Camera' on Japan's 2024 mission to Mars
Buggy-building efforts to date have determined that more data about local driving conditions is needed to design a viable vehicle.
The lunar transformer’s mission is therefore to send home data that can be used “for evaluation of the localization algorithm and the impact of the regolith on driving performance of the crewed pressurized rover.”
The ‘bot incorporates miniaturization tech from TOMY Company and Doshisha University, control tech from Sony and JAXA’s expertise building stuff like [8]probes that land on asteroids and bring bits of them back to Earth. ®
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[1] https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2021/05/20210527-1_e.html#pic01
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/05/27/jaxa_transforming_moonbot2.jpg
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/21/ispace_japan_saas/
[4] https://www.theregister.com/Tag/artemis
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/21/japan_accuses_china_of_attacking_jaxa/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/15/jaxa_asteroid_samples/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/10/camera_jaxa_mars_2024/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2020/12/15/jaxa_asteroid_samples/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YK9tuuWz5scebtqfDAi8yQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YK9tuuWz5scebtqfDAi8yQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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Re: Optimus Zero
Don't get me started on the "should zero be classed as prime" argument
Re: Optimus Zero
No, zero is not a prime. For one thing, zero is an even number, being divisible by 2 ... for another, a prime is only divisible by exactly two positive integers, itself and 1. Zero is divisible by all natural numbers.
WALL-E
Since watching WALL-E some 12 years' ago, I have occasionally wondered how difficult it would be to build & send a good many single-function solar-powered robots to the moon to build components for a future space station, although what exactly they could actually do is probably more the pertinent question.
Is this just a matter of the lack of political will and billions required to fund it or are there are real engineering problems that can't be gotten around?
Re: WALL-E
Short Answer: Yes....
Long Answer: Yes and Yes... :P
Single function Robots cant build a house on Earth at this time, so you cant really expect them to build one in a vastly more difficult environment like Space or the Moon. So yes there are real (and pretty huge) engineering problems to this Idea. BUT, if there was enough funding, no doubt solutions could be found, although you are looking at at least a 10 year (more like 20 year) project, and politicians dont think beyond the 3-4 year election cycle, so you wont get any political will to put the Billions in to overcome the robot problem.
As such, I think you are more likely to see modules put together on Earth, launched to the Moon and assembled by humans than everything done by Robots. Humans are vastly more adaptable and can achieve much more, in much less time. And doing it this way, would likely fit within the election cycle funding gamble. There are a lot of projects looking along these lines, but beyond the occasional earth demonstrator I dont think theyve gotten that far (happy to be corrected if someone has more info).
Re: WALL-E
3-D printer = Robot? I've seen a bit of press for 3-D printed houses. Just one example.
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/06/3d-printed-home-project-milestone-eindhoven/#:~:text=A%20boulder%2Dshaped%20concrete%20house,the%20key%20on%20April%2030.&text=The%20home%20was%20designed%20by,the%20shape%20of%20a%20boulder.
It doesn't seem a big leap that one of these rovers on Mars could have a 3-D printing arm. Water for your slurry becomes the issue.
Re: WALL-E
I think you'll find that the 3D printer for these is bigger then the segments it prints (so half the size of the house probably). So first you need a robot bigger than your house section, to print the house section, and then some way to move said large section into position. Plus foundations to lay, doors/windows, etc. to install.
It's a nice starting point, but this is not a robot building the house on location, which is where the hard part comes in....
Still like i said a nice starting point, and good to see there actually making progress on this topic...
Impressive
They've invented the Zabriskan Fontema!
Moon dust ...
... got into everything during Apollo.
Those clearances look awfully tight, I wouldn't want to get a bit of grit in 'em.
Re: Moon dust ...
I was thinking the same. Moon dust is also highly magnetic, so it will coat everything. Hopefully, the running surfaces of this thing are well sealed.
Still cool idea. And it's always nice to see Space Agencies trying new ideas...
Re: Moon dust ...
Shirley that was down to bad choices by the set designers?
Optimus Zero
And this is how the adventure began.