HR: 0800h
AN: P41A-0922    [Abstracts]
TI: TET Explorers: Pushing back the frontiers of Science
AU: Curtis, S A
EM: Steven.A.Curtis@nasa.gov
AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 695, Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: * Clark, P E
EM: pamela.clark@gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 695 (for L3 Communications, GSI), Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Garvin, J B
EM: James.B.Garvin@nasa.gov
AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 600, Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Rilee, M L
EM: mike@rilee.net
AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 695 (for L3 Communications, GSI), Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Dorband, J E
P41A-0922 AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 695, Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Cheung, C Y
EM: cynthia.y.cheung@nasa.gov
AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 695, Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Sams, J E
EM: j.e.sams@larc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA/Langley Research Center Science, Missions, and Architecture Branch Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate, MS 462, Hampton, VA 23681 United States
AB: We are in the process of developing Tetrahedral Explorer Technologies (TETs) for the extreme mobility needed to explore remote, rugged terrain. TET architecture is based on the tetrahedron as building block, acting singly or interconnected, where apices act as nodes from which struts reversibly deploy. Conformable tetrahedra are the simplest space-filling form the way triangles are the simplest plane-filling facets. The tetrahedral framework acts as a simple skeletal muscular structure. Reconfigurable architecture is essential in exploration because reaching features of the greatest potential interest requires crossing a wide range of terrains. Thus, areas of interest are relatively inaccessible to permanently appendaged vehicles. For example, morphology and geochemistry of interior basins, walls, and ejecta blankets of impact structures must all be studied to understand the nature of an impact event. The crater floor might be relatively flat and navigable, while typical crater walls are variably sloping, and dominated by unconsolidated debris. To be totally functional, structures must form pseudo-appendages varying in size, rate, and manner of deployment (gait). We have already prototyped a simple robotic walker from a single reconfigurable tetrahedron capable of tumbling and are simulating and building a prototype of the more evolved 12Tetrahedral Walker (Autonomous Lunar Investigator) which has interior nodes for payload, more continuous motion, and is commandable through a user friendly interface. Our current applications consist of a more differentiated architecture to form detachable, reconfigurable, reshapable linearly extendable bodies (Class W or Worm), ranging from arms terminating in opposable digits (Class S or Spider) to act as manual assistant subsystems on rovers, to autonomous pseudo-hominid clamberers (Class M or Mammal), with extensions terminating in a wider range of sensors. We are now simulating Class W and Class S gaits and will be building a prototype rover arm. Ultimately, complex continuous n-tetrahedral structures, more advanced versions of Class A, will have deployable outer skin, and even higher degrees of freedom. Combined high and low level intelligence through an extended neural interface will allow `shape shifting' for required function, from surface-conformable lander to amorphous rover to concave surface formation for antenna function. Such architecture will consist of reusable, reconfigurable, mobile, and self-repairing structures, capable of acting as a multi-functional infrastructure. TET systems will act as robotic adjuncts to human explorers, enabling access to otherwise inaccessible resources essential to sustaining human presence.
UR: http://ants.gsfc.nasa.gov
DE: 5215 Origin of life
DE: 5460 Physical properties of materials
DE: 5462 Polar regions
DE: 5470 Surface materials and properties
DE: 5494 Instruments and techniques
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005