Design and Manufacturing of a Bioinspired Spider Rolling Robot for Mars Exploration

View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-0958.vid There is significant interest in developing novel unmanned concepts that can autonomously operate in various environments and diverse locations on Mars. It is essential to produce new design concepts that can conduct predefined missions. We propose developing a robot that meets scientific demands while increasing performance and functionality. Specifically, we propose to explore a novel bio-inspired concept that provides accessibility to harsh territories on Mars while maintaining the necessary robustness and agility. The Spider Rolling Robot (SRR) imitates a Golden Wheel spider's characteristics with rolling, jumping, and folding capabilities. This concept will explore the rough terrains of Mars and gather data from its deep craters and crevasses that are inaccessible to current landers and rovers. The Golden wheel spider uses rolling down a sloped surface on its legs to escape its predators. The proposed robot will evade obstacles by using a sphere containing several legs on the exterior to contact the ground. When given enough power, the legs will move in concert with the sphere. In this paper, the dynamic properties, fabrication process, and progress will be explored and presented.