Panasonic Industry Collaborates with ETH Zurich to Develop Asteroid-Exploring Robot: A Leap Forward in Space Exploration
Panasonic Industry Europe is assisting a group of young students at ETH Zurich in creating a robot for exploring asteroids. The main obstacle they are tackling in the SpaceHopper program is the lack of gravity on asteroids, which poses a challenge for robot movement. The team from ETH Zurich believes that controlled leaps would be the most efficient way for the robot to navigate in the low-gravity environment, which is why they have opted for a three-legged design.
Panasonic Industry is assisting the SpaceHopper program by offering guidance and assistance in choosing and providing the best batteries for the robots' validation tests in low gravity environments, such as parabolic flights. They have chosen a battery pack consisting of twelve BK-300SCP Ni-MH cells that are durable and can withstand high temperatures. Jorit Geurts from SpaceHopper believes these batteries are the ideal choice for zero-gravity flights due to their strength and ability to handle extreme temperatures.
Currently, with support from ESA Academy, the SpaceHopper robot underwent testing in conditions of microgravity. On Earth, the only expensive method of achieving this is through parabolic flights, where a specialized aircraft creates short periods of weightlessness by following a specific flight path.
Carl-Frederik Riemenschneider, who oversees business development at Panasonic, expressed his company's enthusiasm for supporting the project because it aligns with their vision of innovative energy solutions for the future. He eagerly anticipates the outcomes of the ongoing tests and the progression of the SpaceHopper project.
To learn more about how Panasonic Industry is involved in supporting the SpaceHopper program at ETH Zurich, please visit this link.
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