Advanced Multimodal Planetary Surface Exploration for Scientific CanBots

Planetary surface exploration remains one of the great challenges for robotic vehicles, as environments found on other planets are often rough, unstructured, and unpredictable. However, in Humanity’s continuing endeavor to explore strange new worlds and seek answers to questions such as if life exists beyond earth, adaptable and capable mobility solutions are required to boldly go where humankind cannot. This research first establishes a novel robotic system, known as the CanBot, to act as a terrestrial analogue for small-scale planetary surface rovers. The CanBot addresses a relevant technology gap created by the miniaturization of planetary surface rovers and the need to develop flight heritage for space-bound systems. Through the vector of CanBots, this research also develops a novel space-oriented Multimodal Mobility system. Historically, planetary surface mobility has consisted of the springless Rocker-Bogie suspension system for wheeled ground-based locomotion. In more recent history, the first aerial helicopter flown on Mars has established the only precedent for powered flight on other planets. Through the novel combination of both an aerial propeller-based locomotion system and a modified version of the terrestrial Rocker-Bogie system, a unique mechanism for exploring the surface of other planets has been demonstrated. This novel Thrust Augmented Rocker-Bogie (TARB) can travel faster and farther than typical terrestrial vehicles, while still demonstrating the precise and deft movement afforded by a terrestrial robot. The prototype TARB has also been trailed in unique hybrid modalities where the CanBot has been able to climb extreme inclines beyond what classical wheeled robots can handle.