All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

cIclops · 2006-11-23 09:41:34

A new Lunar rover called ATHLETE is in development.

This system will exhibit the following capabilities:
* Self-deploy from compact storage on lunar landers
* Traverse almost any terrain, including vertical rock faces or sandy slopes at the angle of repose by using a launchable/releasable grappling hook
* Exhibit reliable autonomous footfall placement even on the roughest and steepest terrain
* Demonstrate a useful "voice and gesture" command mode to enable suited astronauts to interact with these vehicles

SpaceNut · 2006-11-23 13:56:14

More as posted elsewhere and I think even Ryke posted simular here as well.

SpaceNutNewMars Posted: Sep 12 2006, 09:30 AM

ROBOTS THAT MOONWALK

060909_coslog_hmed10p.standard.jpg

All-Terrain, Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer, or Athlete for short, It's supposed to be capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms), and even more when multiple Athletes are joined together.

combine this with the LSAM and we can save on the need for a rover.

Posted: Sep 22 2006, 07:17 PM
NASA test-ing time; Once every year, a special team heads out to a crater in Arizona to test out all futuristic equipment edit this link is dead...

Arizona’s famed Meteor Crater, once a year, becomes the centre for an event that makes it’s desert topography look more like the set of a science fiction movie.
Though you won’t get a glimpse of R2D2 or C3PO, you would see robots, rovers and space-suited subjects with the latest inter-planetary gear trekking over some of the Arizona’s harshest environment.

Great images of a combo-image of Centaur - a half humanoid, half vehicle - handling packed samples, Desert RATS, and mock way-station called a Pressurised Rover Compartment (PRC).

Desert tests 2006 meteor crater, Arizona

cIclops · 2006-11-23 14:13:24

SpaceNut - a search on "Athlete" doesn't show any previous articles, it was Rxke's suggestion that this was split this from the Lunar Outpost article. Thanks for the extra info and the small copy of the same image

Yes it seems NASA plans to use this beast with the LSAM to move cargo and parts of the Outpost around, and given it's amazing versatility it should make a great explorer.

SpaceNut · 2006-11-23 19:33:27

Yup no Athlete but here is the A whole family of Lunar unmanned rovers being tested...
Page which has only but 2 posts that I spoke of.

I hope this can be developed as a common platform of use.

Rxke · 2006-11-24 01:38:30

I posted that one, ATHLETE featured there too.

cIclops · 2006-11-27 13:17:53

[url=http://space.com/spacenews/businessmonday_061127.html]NASA Auditions Robots for Lunar Exploration Missions
[/url]

Wilcox said Athlete is first and foremost a versatile cargo vehicle that has demonstrated its ability to tackle a wide range of tasks and terrain challenges, including climbing hills and rappelling into ravines.
Athlete also would make a great set of landing legs for NASA’s next human lunar lander, Wilcox said. “We have been promoting the concept that Athlete would make superb landing legs for the [Lunar Surface Access Module],” he said. “It would give the first lander superb mobility as well as a general purpose manipulator, so it would have the ability to do self maintenance.”

cIclops · 2007-02-27 04:45:52

Ripped from Motion planning for a six-legged lunar robot, K Hauser (PDF)

This paper studies the motion of a large and highly mobile six-legged lunar vehicle called athlete, developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This vehicle rolls on wheels when possible, but can use the wheels as feet to walk when necessary. While gaited walking may suffice for most situations, rough and steep terrain requires novel sequences of footsteps and postural adjustments that are specifically adapted to local geometric and physical properties.

X · 2007-05-15 22:51:46

That things going to look silly when it walks I bet.

cIclops · 2007-12-04 04:36:47

Flash video of prototype demonstration

Clever use of power attachments to make grippers, drills and scoops.

Rxke · 2007-12-04 04:56:47

Pretty cool design and capabilities.
Though I wonder how slow it really is, everything was fast motion video...

Still, lots of possibilities that thing 8)

cIclops · 2007-12-04 06:01:39

Yeah it will be slow like MER because of the motor size and power supply. It can handle 50° slopes, quite impressive. This is a good example of a technology that can also be used on Mars.

SpaceNut · 2019-02-18 20:31:42

Look simular?
The first walking robot that moves without GPS

New Mars Forums

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#1 2006-11-23 09:41:34

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#2 2006-11-23 13:56:14

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#3 2006-11-23 14:13:24

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#4 2006-11-23 19:33:27

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#5 2006-11-24 01:38:30

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#6 2006-11-27 13:17:53

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#7 2007-02-27 04:45:52

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#8 2007-05-15 22:51:46

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#9 2007-12-04 04:36:47

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#10 2007-12-04 04:56:47

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#11 2007-12-04 06:01:39

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

#12 2019-02-18 20:31:42

Re: All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE)

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