Video Friday: Roadrunner Robot, NASA SkyFall and MoonFall Missions, and Electrofluidic Muscles
This IEEE Spectrum Robotics update highlights several advancements in robotic technology and space exploration. First, the 'Roadrunner,' a 15 kg bipedal wheeled robot prototype from the Robotics and AI Institute, is introduced. It features symmetric legs and a single control policy allowing seamless switching between side-by-side and in-line wheel modes for multimodal locomotion. Second, NASA announces two ambitious missions building on the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter legacy. The SkyFall mission will deploy next-generation helicopters on Mars to scout human landing sites and map subsurface water ice. Simultaneously, the MoonFall mission plans to send four mobile drones to survey the lunar South Pole's permanently shadowed regions ahead of Artemis astronaut arrivals. Finally, researchers from MIT’s Tangible Media group and Politecnico di Bari present Electrofluidic Fiber Muscles in Science Robotics. These soft, flexible artificial muscles use electrohydrodynamic pumps to generate pressure without moving parts, offering potential for agile untethered robots and integrated wearable assistive systems. The article also lists upcoming robotics conferences in Vienna, Sydney, and Prague.
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Video Friday: Roadrunner Robot, NASA SkyFall and MoonFall Missions, and Electrofluidic Muscles
This IEEE Spectrum Robotics update highlights several advancements in robotic technology and space exploration. First, the 'Roadrunner,' a 15 kg bipedal wheeled robot prototype from the Robotics and AI Institute, is introduced. It features symmetric legs and a single control policy allowing seamless switching between side-by-side and in-line wheel modes for multimodal locomotion. Second, NASA announces two ambitious missions building on the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter legacy. The SkyFall mission will deploy next-generation helicopters on Mars to scout human landing sites and map subsurface water ice. Simultaneously, the MoonFall mission plans to send four mobile drones to survey the lunar South Pole's permanently shadowed regions ahead of Artemis astronaut arrivals. Finally, researchers from MIT’s Tangible Media group and Politecnico di Bari present Electrofluidic Fiber Muscles in Science Robotics. These soft, flexible artificial muscles use electrohydrodynamic pumps to generate pressure without moving parts, offering potential for agile untethered robots and integrated wearable assistive systems. The article also lists upcoming robotics conferences in Vienna, Sydney, and Prague.
IEEE Spectrum