Omni-drive and suit ports will be just two of the NASA rover features available to future astronauts as they explore Mars or near-Earth asteroids. This Rover of the Future is an ever-evolving Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) that could house two astronauts in shirtsleeves for up to 14 days. The first concept was built in 2008. From NASA.gov:
The surface SEV is designed to require little or no maintenance, be able to travel thousands of miles climbing over rocks and up 40 degree slopes during its ten year life. The vehicle frame was developed in conjunction with an off-road race truck team and was field tested in the desert Southwest with 140 km of driving on rough lava…
Some of the new technologies to be developed for the surface and in-space concepts include new batteries, new fuel cells, advanced regenerative brakes, active suspension, gaseous hydrogen/oxygen RCS system, automated rendezvous and docking, and new tire technologies.
Click to check out the rover concept components, via Wikipedia:
Bonus: how astronauts (currently) put on space suits.
via Smithsonian Channel.
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