Lab-on-a-Robot Platform for in-situ Planetary Compositional Analysis

HJ Science & Technology, Inc. and the University of Texas at San Antonio propose a joint venture to demonstrate the feasibility of a mobile "lab-on-a-robot" platform capable of in-situ, high throughput, and simultaneous identification and characterization of universal classes of ions, molecules, and biomolecules for NASA planetary and small body surface chemistry studies. The innovation of the proposed technology combines contactless conductivity detection, on-chip automated sample processing, miniaturized instrumentation integration, and robotic and wireless technologies. If successful, such a mobile platform for the miniaturized instrument will lay the groundwork for future NASA in situ robotic missions. In Phase I, we will show the basic functionalities of the proposed technology by demonstrating the capability of (1) the contactless conductivity detection to detect selective ions that are relevant to the aqueous chemistry and reactivity of the Martian surface material, (2) controlling the device as well as collecting and analyzing the data wirelessly, and (3) integrating the contactless conductivity detection technology into our current optical detection based instrumentation. In Phase II, the main effort will direct towards the development of a "lab-on-a-robot" prototype to be delivered to JPL, which will include optical and contactless conductivity detection capabilities, wireless communication, and on-chip automated sample processing.

The proposed "lab-on-a-robot" technology has great potential for NASA in-situ planetary and small body surface chemistry studies. In particular, the mobile platform in conjunction with the contactless conductivity detection is ideally suited for simultaneous inorganic ion detection and analysis complementary to the "lab-on-a-chip" miniaturization of MECA's wet chemistry laboratory at JPL. The successful research effort will result in reduction in size, weight, power consumption, and cost of in-situ space probes. In addition, the proposed technology can also be used for on-chip biosensors, electrochemical sensors, on-chip sample separations, reactions, derivatizations, as well as for fluid positioning, mixing, metering, storage, and filtering systems, clinical diagnostics, spacecraft and biosphere environmental monitoring, and toxicology studies.

The proposed "lab-on-a-robot" has broader commercial applications including monitoring environmental pollutants that are a potential concern for human health on Earth. The proposed technology is particularly relevant to in-situ analysis of environmental samples because currently the samples have to be physically acquired, transported, and then processed in the laboratory. Exposure of personnel to untested environments, sample degradation, contamination, and labor-intensive analytical protocols obviate the necessity for testing systems capable of performing on-site analysis and transmit the results autonomously. Compared with conventional laboratory based measurement techniques, the in-situ measurement capability of our portable platform offers important advantages including reduction in time and cost, real-time data for better and more timely decision making, and reduction in sample consumption.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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