NASA rovers can now walk to climb obstacles
By lifting its mesh wheels individually, a new prototype rover can navigate steep slopes and terrain that would trap current six wheeled Mars explorers.
For thirty years, every NASA rover sent to Mars has relied on a passive rocker bogie suspension system. This mechanical design uses pivot points to keep all wheels on the ground, but it limits the vehicle to slow speeds and prevents it from lifting its own wheels to clear large rocks. A new prototype called ERNEST is changing this by using an active suspension system that allows the rover to manage its own weight distribution.
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