Researchers are developing an innovative insect-like robot with extendable legs. It will be able to explore the complex terrain of caves and lava tubes on the Moon and even Mars.
Martian caves are a tempting target for future exploration of the Red Planet. People do not yet have a definite idea of their structure. ReachBot, created by Stanford University, is designed to adapt to any cave structure it might find itself in.
ReachBot is designed to mimic the way arachnids, with their small bodies and long legs, move. Its grippers can grip rocky surfaces, allowing the robot to navigate efficiently in difficult conditions.
Crawling through caves, ReachBot is equipped with sensors and an environmental scanner. This allows him to identify accessible objects on rocky surfaces.
The effectiveness of ReachBot was tested in the Mojave Desert in California. Scientists say they will continue to improve it. At the same time, it will have many applications in space: from planetary exploration to missions to asteroids and satellites.
