Image Gallery: Robotics
Explorers in Development at JPL
JPL is the lead NASA center for robotic exploration, which means we send robots, not humans, into space. Here is a gallery of some prototypes of future explorers that have recently been in development. Some can help us on Earth, while others may lead the way for exploration of our solar system.
This four-legged explorer prototype combines autonomy "smarts" provided by JPL with a doglike walker called NeBula-SPOT, built by Boston Dynamics. Subterranean Spot was developed in response to the Subterranean Challenge, a contest sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Inspired by origami, the foldable Autonomous Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot (A-PUFFER) was developed as a prototype concept to scout regions on the Moon and gain information about locations that may be difficult for astronauts to investigate on foot. Learn more
BRUIE, or the Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, is being developed at JPL for underwater exploration in ice-covered regions on Earth, and in the icy waters of ocean worlds elsewhere in our solar system. The long-term goal is to be able to deploy BRUIE for autonomous operations in an alien ocean, where it would search for signs of life at the boundary between the ice shell and ocean.
FreeClimber: LEMUR 3 belongs to a new generation of robots being built at JPL that can crawl, walk and even climb rock walls. This robot was designed to operate in extreme terrains, demonstrating the applicability of its systems for possible missions to Mars, the Moon, and small bodies. It was developed under sponsorship of NASA Science Mission Directorate.
Roman was built to advance the ability of autonomous robots to interact with the wide variety of objects that they might encounter in human-scale environments, be they small and hard to grasp or large, heavy, and difficult to move. It uses its tracked base and array of sensors to navigate any relatively flat terrain, such as inside buildings, around urban streets, and through grassy outdoor areas. Its potential applications include search-and-rescue missions in disaster zones, where it could help clear rubble or lift and move obstacles. The RoMan platform was developed in collaboration with the CCDC Army Research Laboratory. Learn more
Is it a rover or a flyer? It's both. Rollocopter, a hybrid aerial and terrestrial platform, uses a quadrotor system to fly or roll along on two passive wheels. This design gives the robot greater range than aerial-only quadrotors and eliminates obstacle-avoidance issues associated with ground-only robots. When Rollocopter encounters an obstacle, it can simply fly over it. To fly this robot requires a celestial body with an atmosphere and could be used to explore subterranean caves other worlds. Learn more