Mars Rover: Tumbleweed Models

An anonymous reader writes "A North Carolina State project has prototyped a wind-blown Mars exploration rover. It draws its inspiration from the lowly tumbleweed, to cover large distances with low-power requirements. For collecting atmospheric, thermal or geological samples across great distances, the 'single-wheel' tumbleweed has some advantages over the usual four-wheeling approach to tough terrain."

Comments

Re:How do they steer?

[Timesprout]

I dont think steering is an issue with this sort of project. Its simply to collect data from as many wide ranging sources as possible for trend analysis at a later point as opposed to the majority of past/current efforts which can only focus on a few square metres of the planets surface. I imagine they dont really care where it goes if it broadens the sample pool.

Re:How do they steer?

[porksodas]

A possible explanation may be that they don't want to steer. A device this simple, and with these kinds of power requirements, may be deployed on a far larger scale than a single, expensive explorer-cart. They might not be able to provide positional data, but that may well be compensated by their range and numbers. Imagine hundred of these rolling around Mars, for a year or so, continually transmitting usefull measurements... Besides : they might be able to detect their positions from down here - most likely not as accurate as GPS, but still...

Re:Control?

[I don't want to spen]

I would guess that as part of a systematic approach it would work: you target some fixed or limited mobility probes at areas you are interested in and let other blow around where they will. If they are cheap you could get limited data about a wide area, rather than a lot of info about a very small location.

Besides, there stands a chance that interesting things may be blown to the same places as the probes. Don't forget that the Earth was explored by wind power in the days of sail.

Plus you can get data on the wind from where they end up!

Dont need controls

[DigiShaman]

Seriously, you don't need to control it. After all, you would get much more data if this thing would last for years being blown in random locations then say....the rover having limited access next to base an only lasting for a short period of time. In the end, it amounts to data and cost effectiveness of getting it. I'm all for this concept.