If you entered a test site operated by Japan’s space agency recently, you would’ve seen a bunch of tiny red robots trundling across a sandy surface.
The AI-powered robots were being tested ahead of a trip to the moon where they’ll scout for ideal sites for underground moon bases, the Nikkei Asia news outlet reported this week.
NASA and its partners are planning to build a moon base on the lunar surface so that astronauts can live and work there for extended periods, similar to how they spend time aboard the International Space Station (ISS) today.
The U.S. space agency is aiming to return humans to the lunar surface in 2027 in the Artemis III mission, with work on building a moon base targeted for a later mission, possibly by the end of this decade. That would mean the moon base won’t be ready to welcome the first astronauts until some time in the 2030s.
The little red robots appear to be little more than a pair of wheels, but in between these are tiny computers that provide their smarts.
During the recent test, the robots could be seen navigating sandy terrain that’s designed to resemble the lunar surface. The diminutive bots even have the ability to jump as high as one meter.
The machines are being developed by a research group led by Chuo University professor Yasuharu Kunii in partnership with engineering company Takenaka.
The robots would be used to search for the best sites to house the first moon base for human inhabitants.
Scientists have suggested that a moon base could be built inside lava tubes that extend under the lunar surface. Such tubes would provide a safer setting for humans by shielding them from extreme temperature fluctuations and significantly reducing exposure to space radiation compared to the lunar surface.
Kuni and his team want to send swarms of the robots to the moon, with each one assigned roles to be carried out autonomously. The robots would also be able to work collaboratively, sharing knowledge gained during their individual searches of the terrain and also the lava tubes.
The plan is to send the first of these robots to the moon within the next five years.
As part of plans to return humans to the lunar surface, NASA is preparing to send four crew members on a voyage around the moon in the Artemis II mission next year, followed in 2027 by the Artemis III landing.
