Validating Microgravity Mobility Models for Hopping/Tumbling Robots Testing

We will test the mobility of a new class of low-mass (<10 kg) hopping/tumbling robots in the low-gravity environment offered by the ZeroG aircraft and on terrains with properties typical of small Solar System bodies: asteroids, Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), and small moons. This is a knowledge payload that seeks to evaluate control and mobility strategies, gather data on the dynamical properties, and validate simulation models of these internally-actuated robots. The tests will inform and refine future design iterations and further our understanding of microgravity mobility dynamics.
Paper: Experimental Methods for Mobility and Surface Operations of Microgravity Robots
Good videos of flight tests
2015 Annual Report highlight of flight test Problem Statement Researchers at Stanford University and at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have recently been investigating low-mass surface platforms that can traverse the rugged and soft terrains of small bodies, where gravity is extremely low. These platforms impart mobility by generating a reaction force through simple internal actuation mechanisms, enabling them to traverse by hopping (for large surface coverage) and tumbling/shuffling (for fine mobility and instrument pointing). These platforms would position science instruments through a sequence of tumbling and shuffling maneuvers.

The technology involved in a low-mass surface platform that can traverse the rugged and soft terrrains of small bodies where gravity is extremely low will benefit the commercial space industry and future NASA missions. Future Customers Furthering our understanding of mobility and operations around small bodies would have relevance to both NASA's Science Mission Directorate as well as Human Exploration Mission Directorate, thus helping the Space Technology Mission Directorate accomplish its crosscutting capabilities goals.

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