1. INTRODUCTION:
The NASA A.T.H.L.E.T.E (All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) is a vehicle developed by the NASA Johnson Space Centre, NASA Ames Research Centre, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Boeing Company and Stanford University. It is part of the Lunar and Planetary Surface Operations element of the NASA Technology Maturation Program and constitutes the “effort for a sustainable, affordable and safe human lunar return” [1]. Two approximately half-scale prototype “Software Development Model” vehicles have been built (figure 1) and tested between 2005 and 2009. The vehicles' mass is about 850 kg and their hexagonal frames are 2.75 m across. The frame itself has 6 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) limbs standing a maximum of 2.08 m at the hip pitch axis. At the end of each limb is a 0.48 m diameter wheel equipped with an adapter where a variety of general-purpose devices can be connected (drills, grippers, etc.). Furthermore, a pair of stereo cameras have been attached on every side of the frame and on each wheel, allowing for a stereoscopic panoramic view of the vehicle's surroundings and also the gauging of the exact position of the tool attached to the wheel. These allow the vehicle to move safely, either autonomously or driven by an operator and also enable it to carry out tasks with great accuracy.
2.ROBOT OVERVIEW:
To ensure maximum safety, previous missions to the moon have landed robots on relatively flat spots [2] and limited their exploration area to safe nominal terrains. In addition, the use of separate landing and post-landing vehicles resulted in duplicate subsystems such as primary structure, thermal control, cable harness, power, imaging sensors [4], etc. All the above problems were solved by the whee...
... middle of paper ...
...ieee.org, 4/3/2012).
[7] Julie Townsend, Jeffrey Biesiadecki, Curtis Collins, “ATHLETE Mobility Performance with Active Terrain Compliance”, Aerospace Conference, 2010 IEEE, Page(s): 1 – 7 (http://ieeexplore.ieee.org, 4/3/2012).
[8] Wilcox, Brian H, “ATHLETE: A Cargo-Handling Vehicle for Solar System Exploration”, Aerospace Conference, 2011 IEEE, Page(s): 1 – 8, http://ieeexplore.ieee.org, (4/3/2012).
[9] http://www.theblaze.com/stories/see-nasas-two-ton-robot-that-can-leap-over-asteroids/ (4/3/2012).
[10] Matt Heverly, Jaret Matthews, Matt Frost, Chris McQuin, “Development of the Tri-ATHLETE Lunar Vehicle Prototype”, Proceedings of the 40th Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium, NASA Kennedy Space Center, May 7-9, 2010 (http://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov 3/3/2012).
[11] http://athlete.jpl.nasa.gov/ (4/3/2012).
[12] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDvoe091tk4 (2/3/2012).
On Earth, the most widespread advanced robot computers run by remote. With no purpose for a self-sustaining robot to patrol the planet, only a small amount of money for engineers and inventors to improve these robots circulates the economy. When dealing with other planets, self-sustaining rovers come in really handy. The latest Mars Rover, Curiosity, currently carries out its mission to sample Martian soil. The rover’s mast stands at just over seven feet tall, with the body at about half the height. The equipment on Curiosity equals the same as an entire geological laboratory, compacted into the size of a car. Thanks to NASA’s efforts to minimize geological instruments to fit the dimensions, geologists now benefit f...
Throughout literature countermovement jumps (CMJ) are seen to be higher in contrast to squat jumps (SJ) (Bobbert et al. 1996; Kubo et al. 1999; Bobbert et al. 2005). However present literature regarding the key potential mechanisms behind why greater muscle forces are seen accelerating the body upwards in CMJ in comparison to SJ is somewhat unclear. A CMJ can be defined as a positioning starting upright, beginning the descending motion in advance of the upward motion in contrast to a SJ where the start position is squatted with no preparatory countermovement (Akl 2013). The higher jump heights seen in CMJ in comparison to SJ are apparent even if at the start of propulsion phase the body configuration is identical (Bobbert et al. 1996). In past literature three main mechanisms have looked to provide an explanation for the greater muscle forces seen in CMJ than the SJ. The first plausible theory is that the muscle stretch in CMJ increases the production of force capability of the contractile machinery (Edman et al. 1978; Ettema et al. 1992; Herzog et al. 2003). Secondly the assumption that the muscle fibres are on the descending limb of their force–length relationship at the start of propulsion in the CMJ and SJ, however in CMJ the stretching of a chain of elastic components, they are not as far past optimum length therefore allowing a greater force over the initial phase of their shortening range, with the stretching of sequences of elastic components, this then causes the storage of elastic energy that is then reutilized in the propulsion phase (Ettema et al. 1992). The final explan...
In order to develop this prosthesis they had to go through two main phases, the analysis of a jogger wearing a standard walking prosthesis and computer simulation of the flexing of the knee on this walking prosthesis. They had to measure rotation, weight bearing, moments, and t...
Leimkuehler had a trans-femoral amputation in WWII, and went on to become a CPO. In 1956, he created the first set of “outriggers” which are essential to many adaptive techniques. He became an avid skier and racer, and wanted to help others to get the same enjoyment he found from skiing. So the designs and measurements for his outriggers were freely offered to anyone who asked.
Von Braun, Wernher & Fredrick I. Ordway III. History of Rocketry & Space Travel. (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1975
Over the years since its beginning, the American space program has executed many major successful projects that were lead mainly by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, in which America completed without the assistance of other countries. Perhaps the most well-known feat of NASA was the world’s first moon landing, performed by Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr., which occurred on July 20th, 1969 (Andrews). This was an outstanding achievement considering that NASA had competed against the Soviet Union in order to put the first man on the moon and came out on top even though the Soviet Union had had a head start. But even though the moon landing is the most well-known, other projects have produced far more useful results. For instance, the Hubble Space Telescope is considered to be “one of the finest research tools in astronomical history,” and the 44 foot-long telescope was sent into space on April 24, 1990; however, the telescope initially had a probl...
How do you build a vehicle capable of climbing a tether into space, under its own power? This leads to another
Siconolfi, Dr. S., Dr. S. Fortney, Dr. V. Mikhaylov, and Dr. A. Kotov. "Aerobic Capacity Using Graded Bicycle Ergometry." NASA Shuttle-Mir Web: NASA/Mir Experiment. Online. Netscape. 8 Oct. 1997.
The recent events regarding the NASA Mars probes have renewed the debate of reinstalling manned space missions with the objectives of exploring and landing on foreign worlds such as the moon and the red planet Mars, rather than the use of solely robotic craft and machines. It is my belief that we should return to the days of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, those of manned lunar landings and manned space exploration. Robots simply cannot and should not be allowed to be the sole means of visiting these worlds, nor should humans only be able to witness new findings second hand through the use of computers and machines. It is human nature to be normally curious of one’s surroundings, and it is important that we send one of our own to new worlds. The effects that past missions have had on the world’s people, as well as our political and cultural climates are another valid reason for flesh instead of metal to lay claim to space. Also, the limitless applications and new education that manned flights can bring to us from on site human interactions could lead to another technological and industrial revolution like the original lunar programs had done for us during the Gemini and Apollo programs.
Recorded videos were used to analyze the movement patterns of the runners. The participants were an elite (male) and a novice runner (female). The elite runner used a standard track field while the novice used a treadmill in a standard gym. The result showed that the elite runner had a longer stride than the non-expert due to his long legs. The novice runner required less force to move her body than the elite runner. The expert had longer stride resulting in longer step length which made him move faster than the novice. As the feet of both participants touched the ground the expert had a higher ground reaction force than the non-expert. The elite had a higher cadence than the non-elite because his legs moved faster. During stance phase, they both have one foot on the ground and as their foot first hit the ground they both slow down. However, the novice was slower because the elite had a faster speed making him spend less time in the
Human fascination with the stars is as ancient as Babylonians and has been suggested to be older than Stonehenge. From “be fruitful and multiply” to “live long and prosper,” the instinct to protect and propagate the species has manifested in religion, art, and the imaginations of countless individuals. As human understanding of space treks out of the fantastical and into the scientific, the realities of traveling through and living in space are becoming clearer. Exploring, investigating, and living in space pose an expansive series of problems. However, the solutions to the problems faced by mankind's desire to reach beyond the horizon, through the night sky, and into the stars are solutions that will help in all areas of life on Earth.
In December 2001, Dean Kamen of Segway LLC unveiled the Human Transporter HT. With lofty ideas of replacing the automobile and unrealized sales forecasts, Kamen's Segway HT has not moved mankind nearly as much as Kamen had expected.
Transportation has been one of mankind’s most basic needs since existence. It allowed him to survive, to prosper, to populate almost every habitable place on the planet. Man has been able to conquer every frontier- land, water, air and even space. Modes of transport have undergone a massive change in the past few centuries. From animals to simple machines like bicycles to jet engines that have propelled us to outer space, the technology involved has indeed come a long way.
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.