This autonomous robot scouts unfriendly terrain for dangerous land mines in warzone and post-conflict regions

Wars bring with them massive destruction on the battlefield but the implications beyond wartime can be equally devastating in terms of mental, psychological and physical damage. The ongoing strangling in two of the most important regions in the world is a clear example of how conflicts can have devastating aftermaths. Land mines have long been one of the worst nemesis of post-war calamities, rendering fertile lands too risky to be cultivated.

Searching for these fatal buried hazards can be an arduous task even for the most potent military units and that’s where robotic land mine detectors make the task easier. This takes all the risk of human life away and also ensures the particular area of land is safely ridden of destructive land mines laid down by battling units in the past.

Designer: Subin Kim and JiHoon Park

Meet the Warden mine detector proposed as a concept design that safely takes care of identifying potential land mines and marks the area with red paint to keep everyone safe. This creates a quarantined zone for residents and outsiders about the potential threats. Working autonomously to scout any kind of terrain, the smart robotic minesweeper is connected to the cloud at all times to send the real-time data of identified mines, so that they can be updated in relevant online maps and public resources.

Looking like a rover moving forward on unknown lands, this robot has a high ride height to move swiftly on rocky terrain. The machine is loaded with advanced sensors and a surprising mowing attachment to remove any standing grass or weed. This makes the marked area visible even in the dark hours of the day. When not autonomous, the minesweeper robot can also be controlled by a soldier during wartime scouting.

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Inflatable Moon habitat complete with minilab and living space for two astronauts is ready for the future

Exploration of the moon is a global endeavor; every nation in some way or the other is involved in chalking out transportation modes to reach the celestial wonder. As an idea for the future, conceptual artist Jakub Pietryszyn has created an interesting concept of an expandable and inflatable Moon habitat.

The idea of a Moon habitat has been tinkered with by a few speculative designers/space architects in the past. One such concept that instantly strikes the mind is the origami-style tent for the moon. Whether you want to someday shift with your family and friends to the Moon and set up a solar-powered village there or you wish to sit back on the couch (on Earth) and inhabit the Moon in VR; all sorts of ideas are sprouting up by the day.

Designer: Jakub Pietryszyn

To that accord, this concept of a Moon habitat called BLOMPOD is not outright novel, but substantially elating. The idea of Pietryszyn’s minimalistic module is designed to be effortlessly transported to the Moon and once it has landed, it can then easily and instantly expand. Conceptualized for an upcoming space mission, the expandable and inflatable Moon pod can be unloaded with help of two rovers. When installed, the BLOMPOD – as the same suggests – begins to blossom. The fully-inflated surface of the pod is covered in Moon sand, while the well-protected, life-sustaining inner core houses the living area.

The BLOMPOD can accommodate at least two astronauts comfortably and fully inflated, it can also make room for various activities and programs onboard. From the designer’s vision, the base shield of this Moon habitat is made using regolith mixed with cement; the outer surface on the other hand features a regolith surface coated with Moon sand for protection against celestial radiation and other elements.

For the usage of space provided by the two shield layers, astronauts get a workspace equipped with minilabs laid out with computers and other equipment for on-site exploration and research within the outer core. The inner core is reserved for astronauts’ privacy wherein lies a sleeping area with a pair of beds, storage, a toilet with shower, and a kitchen beside a workout and social activity area. A complete living and working space for Moon exploration, the BLOMPOD as we said, is an exciting concept for the future!

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Astrolab FLEX Rover ready to support humans and transport cargo on moon and Mars

Living on another planet will be possible someday. It may not happen in our lifetime, but we can do our part for the next generation by preparing well for the possibility. Who knows, we may see that as technology is well advancing by leaps and bounds.

Moon or Mars—where do you want to live? We can’t really say where the best place to live is, but we find it fun and exciting to imagine life in either of the two. You already have the Y3 Space-X Running Shoes for Mars and the Vollebak Mars Gear. Now let’s talk about what vehicle you will be driving. It can be the NASA Bike or the Star Wars-inspired Pandemax or this new project from Astrolab.

Designer: Astrolab

Astrolab FLEX Rover Spacecraft

The Astrolab FLEX Rover may be available soon as it is currently being developed. It is not just a concept, but a company is already building the FLEX (short Flexible Logistics and Exploration). It doesn’t look like a futuristic or a fancy sports car, but it is designed to transport cargo and humans on the moon or Mars.

The Astrolab FLEX rover is designed for humans to explore the place freely. It can be a rover or a lander, depending on a person’s need anywhere in the solar system. It boasts a modular payload interface that can support intermodal transportation. Astrolab has begun exploring solutions on living and operating on other planets. The company aims to design, build, and run a fleet of rovers someday.

Chris Hadfield Astrolab FLEX Rover

Astrolab FLEX Rover Design

The FLEX rover supports exploration, robotic science, construction, logistics, resource utilization, and human operations on Mars or the moon. It can seat two astronauts on a removable deck and has a deck that can carry 3m³ of cargo. It comes with navigation and hazard detection sensors for semi-autonomous operations. In addition, it has solar panels to keep the vehicle powered.

The wheels are ready for soft soil or the kind found on the moon or Mars. It’s like something we’ve seen in the movies before, but we know it’s really being built this time. As described, it has a versatile design that allows adaptive utility, last-mile cargo delivery, and crew transport in one vehicle.

Chris Hadfield Astrolab FLEX Rover

Astrolab FLEX Rover on Mars

Astrolab believes in planetary discovery and exploration, and it is something the generation of our children may get to experience. The video above shows that the Astrolab FLEX Rover may be part of that future as a prototype is now fully operational. Chris Hadfield, a retired NASA astronaut, tested the FLEX and shared with us its role in the future.

Astrolab FLEX Rover Details

Astrolab FLEX Rover NASA Astronaut Chris Hadfield

Hadfield, who is also an advisory board member of Astrolab, said, “it was not only a joy to drive FLEX but also see its size, capability and get an intuitive sense of what this rover can do.” He said equipment needs to change as we transition from the Apollo era to the future when we can live on the moon. “When we settle somewhere, we don’t just need to get people from one place to another, but we need to move hardware, cargo, life support equipment, and more. And it’s all dependent on mobility,” the astronaut also said.

Astrolab FLEX Rover on Moon

Astrolab FLEX Rover Features

Astrolab FLEX Rover Prototype

Astrolab FLEX Rover Testing

Astrolab FLEX Rover Astronaut

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This algae balls powered robotic rover generates energy using photosynthesis

MARS is an autonomous, photosynthetically powered rover that uses marimo’s photosynthesis process to accrue solar energy and roam riverbeds and lake bottoms and gather scientific information.

Rovers gather some of the most insightful and fundamental scientific information regarding challenging environments. Unlike humans, rovers can access hard-to-reach environments even under the most dangerous and unlivable conditions. Whether they’re traversing the rocky landscape of Mars or leading scientists to the dark depths of the sea, rovers bring us one step closer to understanding our planet and all that surrounds it.

Designer: The University of the West of England

Today, a team of scientists from the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol, UK have implemented the use of a marimo, a type of rare, lake- and river-dwelling algae growth that grow into large, velvety balls, in aquatic rovers to uncover information on some of our planet’s bodies of water. Recently published in the Journal of Biological Engineering, the “Marimo Actuated Rover Systems,” or MARS for short is described as “an autonomous, low-cost, lightweight, compact size, photosynthetically powered rover.”

Found just beneath the lake’s or river’s surface, marimo grows by energy harnessed from the faint sunlight that skims the water’s surface and produces oxygen in the process. Outfitted with a highly technical globular rover suit, the MARS rovers use solar energy to autonomously roam the riverbeds and lake bottoms, gathering information on the water’s conditions like temperature and oxygen.

The team at UWE produced a 3D-printed exoskeleton about the size of a baseball to encase the balls of marimo and develop their rover suit. Using this exoskeleton, the oxygen generated from the solar energy gets trapped inside and allows MARS to zigzag and propel forward on the riverbed or lake bottom. The team at UWE discovered a way to harness the energy produced during photosynthesis and turn it into a type of fuel that moves MARS forward. The more oxygen trapped inside the exoskeleton, the heavier MARS becomes. This aspect of photosynthesis allows the autonomous rover to avoid larger obstacles that come in its path by exhaling oxygen to become buoyant and then holding onto oxygen to keep moving.

Currently, in its early phases, the rover can potentially be outfitted with low-power sensors that will track water conditions like pH, pollution, turbidity, and salinity levels. These low-power sensors can even be activated by the energy harnessed from the rover’s movement. While marimo is unique to lakes and rivers, the researchers at the UWE find that the template of MARS can be applied to oceanic algae, like seaweed, allowing rovers to roam the ocean’s mysterious depths.

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This Tesla Cybertruck-inspired moonracer is designed for exploration + fun on Tweel wheels!

While Mars remains the ultimate inhabitable destination for mankind, the moon’s surface is still unexplored. Rover missions to Mars have uncovered the secrets of the red planet, and to scout the moon’s jagged terrain, a designer envisions the Moonracer. An exploration vehicle that looks so much inspired by the Tesla Cybertruck with its sharp lines and the signature front and rear design. Of course to tread the toughest unknown terrain and hostile environment in case we humans dig for signs of life on still unexplored planets and their moons.

The tires on the NASA exploration vehicle by product design student Robin Mazánek are going to be the most vital, as they need to be ready for any adventure. Tweel airless tires developed by Michelin are going to be the ideal choice as they never get punctured or burst as the hub of the tire is connected to the rim via flexible polyurethane spokes that also double as shock absorbers for a smooth ride. Since the designer wants to take the Moonracer for more than just scientific exploration spin, the fun element comes in the form of moon bingo races – wherein the objective will be to discover something new. Logically this is still a pipedream until we start living on the moon, and time is on our side for such fun activities!

Robin gives a very light appeal to his rover design that has a very balanced weight distribution, much needed for the unfriendly terrains of foreign planets or moons. It looks made for two passengers on-board, and yes, the Tesla Cybertruck like element gives it that futuristic appeal.

Designer: Robin Mazánek

This Cybertruck-inspired Tesla Modular rover was designed for exploration missions on Mars!

Humans’ desire to set foot on another planet – even make it their home is not distant as visionaries like Elon Musk are headstrong about their goal of colonizing Mars in the next few decades. More than a pipedream, the foundation has been laid by NASA’s unmanned missions to the red planet – the freshest one being the landing of the Mars Perseverance rover. While rovers scout the planet’s surface for signs of water and other intricate details for future missions, here on planet earth, imaginative designers are letting loose their creative bits to show us what the future could be like.

This bug-like rover that looks like the big daddy of the compact Mars rovers that we have seen over the years is, in fact, a waste disposal vehicle for the harsh terrain of the red planet. Called the D25 Modular Rover, the design comes to the courtesy of Joshua Kotter, who has reimagined the shape and function of a vehicle to make it look like its tailormade for the jarred landscape and severe weather conditions of Mars. The three-part vehicle is made of the modular platform chassis that’s electrically driven, has a cabin crew module, and the main waste disposal module. While the first and second are a given surety on the vehicle, the waste disposal module can be swapped with other customizable modules depending on the need.

Joshua gives the modular rover a very upbeat character that’s bold with the NASA, Tesla, and SpaceX branding. The Cybertruck-like sharp aesthetic is apparent in the rover as it is made to scale abrasive terrain commonly found on the planet. The module could also be readied for any reconnaissance missions should an alien species decide to have the first rights on the planet. Who knows what the uncertain future holds for humanity as we are bound to encounter other life forms in the galaxy and our universe eventually. The D25 Modular Rover looks prepared for that eventuality!

Designer: Joshua Kotter