Experts at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Ames Research Center have developed and tested a self-assembling robotic structure that could help humanity explore extraterrestrial worlds. The research was published in the official gazette Web site Space Agency.
The technology, called Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMDAS), features octagonal frames called voxels that assemble two types of robots. The first walking machine moves the voxel from one place to another, while the second one slides along the structures like a worm and holds the building elements together.
The shape of the parts allows them to be mounted at different angles while maintaining the rigidity of the structure. According to engineers, voxels can be made in situ from different materials found on the Moon and other celestial bodies.
During the experiments, the robots built a shelter consisting of 256 voxels in 4.2 days of work. NASA has stated that if ARMDAS is sent to the Moon a year before humans land on the Moon, the automated system will have time to build 12 similar shelters by the time the astronauts arrive.
Currently, engineers are designing a power supply system for robots. They will probably be able to charge autonomously at stations or even receive energy wirelessly.
Previously at NASA said about preparing androids to work in space.