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At the south pole of the moon, a 100-kilogram Chinese mechanic will soon appear.
The Chinese lunar program is gradually moving from planting and collecting data to engineering work on the surface. The Chang’e-8 mission plans to include a 100-kilogram robot developed at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The device must transport equipment, install devices and help with installation after landing.
The robot received four wheels for movement on uneven lunar soil and two robotic manipulators to work with tools. The project team calls the machine a lunar mechanic or loader: the device will be able to take scientific instruments, move cargo, put sensors at specified points and help deploy the equipment.
Hybrid design solves the practical problem of future missions. The wheels give stability and save energy when moving, and manipulators allow you to work with objects almost as much as an astronaut. Most of the equipment for space programs was designed under human hands, so it is easier for developers to teach the robot to use ready-made tools than renew the entire set of devices.
HKUST professor Gao Yang said that Chang’e-7 is likely to deliver the first humanoid robot to the south pole of the moon, and the device for Chang’e-8 will go to another area of the same region. The South Pole occupies a large area, and the Chinese program wants to explore different areas. The researcher called the project a new demonstration of lunar robotics for China.
Earlier, SecurityLab wrote about another Chinese project for lunar logistics: engineers of the Beijing Institute for Spacecraft Design offered a robot with a wheeled platform and manipulators to maintain equipment, experiments, collect samples and prepare infrastructure at the south pole. The development of HKUST for Chang’e-8 continues the transition from conventional wanderers to cars that will be able not only to drive on the surface, but also to perform work on the spot.
According to the description of the development team, the robot will receive elements of artificial intelligence and will be able to work semi-autonomously. The combination of a wheel platform and humanoid arms should give the device two advantages: confident movement on the surface and accurate work with objects.
After landing, the robot should carry scientific instruments, install sensors, help with the installation of equipment, collect samples of lunar soil and stones. For Chang’e-8, such a machine is important not only as a separate experiment. The device shows how lunar missions gradually move from observations and collecting samples to engineering work on the spot.
Future Chang’e-8 missions should check out the deployment of small infrastructure, a network of sensors and technologies that will be useful in preparing the long stay of people on the moon. For such tasks, a robot with a wheel platform and manipulators does not look like a demostrate toy, but a working tool for servicing future lunar objects.
The main reason for the interest in the south pole is related to the alleged deposits of ice in constantly shaded craters. Nearby are the areas where the Sun is almost continuously shining, which means future bases will be able to receive energy and look for water in one region. The ice can be recycled into drinking water, oxygen and raw materials to produce rocket fuel, so robots for lunar missions are becoming an important technology test, without which it will be more difficult to move to a permanent lunar infrastructure.
The Chinese lunar program is gradually moving from planting and collecting data to engineering work on the surface. The Chang’e-8 mission plans to include a 100-kilogram robot developed at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The device must transport equipment, install devices and help with installation after landing.
The robot received four wheels for movement on uneven lunar soil and two robotic manipulators to work with tools. The project team calls the machine a lunar mechanic or loader: the device will be able to take scientific instruments, move cargo, put sensors at specified points and help deploy the equipment.
Hybrid design solves the practical problem of future missions. The wheels give stability and save energy when moving, and manipulators allow you to work with objects almost as much as an astronaut. Most of the equipment for space programs was designed under human hands, so it is easier for developers to teach the robot to use ready-made tools than renew the entire set of devices.
HKUST professor Gao Yang said that Chang’e-7 is likely to deliver the first humanoid robot to the south pole of the moon, and the device for Chang’e-8 will go to another area of the same region. The South Pole occupies a large area, and the Chinese program wants to explore different areas. The researcher called the project a new demonstration of lunar robotics for China.
Earlier, SecurityLab wrote about another Chinese project for lunar logistics: engineers of the Beijing Institute for Spacecraft Design offered a robot with a wheeled platform and manipulators to maintain equipment, experiments, collect samples and prepare infrastructure at the south pole. The development of HKUST for Chang’e-8 continues the transition from conventional wanderers to cars that will be able not only to drive on the surface, but also to perform work on the spot.
According to the description of the development team, the robot will receive elements of artificial intelligence and will be able to work semi-autonomously. The combination of a wheel platform and humanoid arms should give the device two advantages: confident movement on the surface and accurate work with objects.
After landing, the robot should carry scientific instruments, install sensors, help with the installation of equipment, collect samples of lunar soil and stones. For Chang’e-8, such a machine is important not only as a separate experiment. The device shows how lunar missions gradually move from observations and collecting samples to engineering work on the spot.
Future Chang’e-8 missions should check out the deployment of small infrastructure, a network of sensors and technologies that will be useful in preparing the long stay of people on the moon. For such tasks, a robot with a wheel platform and manipulators does not look like a demostrate toy, but a working tool for servicing future lunar objects.
The main reason for the interest in the south pole is related to the alleged deposits of ice in constantly shaded craters. Nearby are the areas where the Sun is almost continuously shining, which means future bases will be able to receive energy and look for water in one region. The ice can be recycled into drinking water, oxygen and raw materials to produce rocket fuel, so robots for lunar missions are becoming an important technology test, without which it will be more difficult to move to a permanent lunar infrastructure.
