Something every Mars Rover might need in the future: Snake robots that wiggle and roll to propel themselves around on passive wheels, gathering visual information with a camera along the way. This snake-bot is called Wheeko, and it’s designed to get into inaccessible spaces — tight spots between rocks or under ledges, or on more sandy terrain — that your average mini-truck-sized rover might have a hard time with.
Wheeko is being developed by teams at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and SINTEF, the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, as a part of a European Space Agency-assigned study.
There are more robot videos in the archives, including Japan’s Kirobo companion, this sand-runner, and this jumping sand flea, one of our favorites.
Also: the design and movement of slithering snakes.
via 8bitfuture.
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