At the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH for short) in Zurich, researchers have now developed a robot that moves by jumping. The “SpaceHopper” will one day be used for space missions to explore celestial bodies such as asteroids and moons.
Using hopping movements, it can also move in places with very low gravity, as ETH Zurich announced on Thursday. It is therefore suitable as an exploration robot for small celestial bodies.
Already tested in parabolic flights
It is said that the functionality of the “SpaceHopper” has already been tested in weightlessness, on a so-called parabolic flight by the European Space Agency (ESA). In 2008, a British scientist developed a robot called ‘Jollbot’ that can bounce around like a grasshopper or a ball.
Small celestial bodies such as asteroids or moons may contain valuable mineral resources that humanity could use in the future. Moreover, the study of these celestial bodies should provide insight into the formation of the universe.
Source: Krone
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