Autonomous robots can swim through sand on Mars

Theo Popular Sciencethe research team, led by computer scientist Marco Schmidt, professor of Integrated Systems and Sensors for Earth Observation (ESSEO) at the University of Würzburg, relied on the sand lizard’s movement mechanism to create a Mars rover model, achieving superior performance compared to other models when moving on sand. The project is part of the German Aerospace Center’s VaMEx initiative.

To move effectively on Mars, rovers need to handle large amounts of sand. Neither circular wheel nor tracked design is ideal for dealing with the harsh and sandy environment on the red planet. In addition to handling mixed structures that are both liquid and solid like sand, autonomous robots also have to face steep slopes and bumpy terrain with varying degrees of slipperiness, easily causing loss of balance.

Schmidt’s team designed a new autonomous robot that uses a swimming motion to push through sand, inspired by African sand lizards (Skink skink) is famous for its ability to burrow in the Sahara desert and swim through the sand like a fish. Video shared by the University of Würzburg shows the small silver refrigerator-sized robot moving across a test floor simulating the surface of Mars. Instead of rolling forward, each of its wheels cut through the sand in a figure-eight motion. The autonomous robot moves a few meters, turns the corner and returns to the starting point.

“The wheels simulate the sand lizard’s characteristic interaction with the ground, generating both vertical and horizontal forces. The autonomous robot leaves sinusoidal traces in the sand, helping to confirm that the machine achieves the intended swimming mechanism,” Schmidt explains.

Theo Phys.org, The research team is collaborating with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Bremen and the University of Bremen to test the robot. Initially, the machine’s wheels were heavier and narrower than equivalent pneumatic wheels, increasing pressure on the ground causing the robot to sink. Slipping and sinking reduce the ability to control autonomous robots. The researchers fixed it by increasing the wheel width and reducing the mass, helping the vehicle move stably on the sand.

Schmidt and his colleagues are looking for ways to increase the robot’s overall control and limit slippage in complex real-world environments. They also plan to add space for scientific equipment and cargo that the robot might have to carry.