An Automaton Rover is a mechanically based robot that thrives in Venus' high temperatures, where electronics would quickly fail. Inspired by Strandbeests, this high temperature alloy rover extends science fiction "steampunk" to space exploration.
This work is funded by NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC). The research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
© 2017 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.