An origami-inspired robot may be heading for Mars on the next mission. The pop-up flat folding explorer robot (Puffer) can fold itself nearly flat and crawl into spaces normal space rovers cannot reach. Several of the microbots could be included on a mission, flattened like cards and stacked on top of each other. It can also fall into pits or craters and climb up 45-degree slopes. Puffer's creators at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, have been working with NASA to develop a robotic rover that could explore Mars. Several of the devices could be used on a mission to increase the amount that could be done in a single day, Puffer project manager Jaakko Karras said.
An origami-inspired robot may be heading for Mars on the next mission. The pop-up flat folding explorer robot (Puffer) can fold itself nearly flat and crawl into spaces normal space rovers cannot reach. It can also fall into pits or craters and climb up 45-degree slopes. Puffer's creators at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, have been working with NASA to develop a robotic rover that could explore Mars. Several of the devices could be used on a mission to increase the amount that could be done in a single day, Puffer project manager Jaakko Karras said.