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Mars Rovers At Smithsonian And Exploratorium Now

Posted by timothy on from the sorry-wrong-planet dept.

Illah Nourbakhsh writes "From the makers of the Palm Pilot Robot Kit comes our newest thing. If you live in SF or in DC you can go to the biggest science centers of them all, the Air & Space Museum or the Exploratorium and interact with miniature Mars rovers we've put in Mars yards there. The robots take panoramic images and track and test rocks, so it's no remote-control toy. All Linux on-board, using a prototype single-board arm-based robotics board (the Intel Stayton). The website 'gallery' has pictures of all of the rover's parts, including the Linux processor and the mechanicals. Gallery also has several videos. We've built 20 of these 'bots and they're in DC, San Francisco and Augusta, Georgia." If these were in toy stores ...

10 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Obvious question..... by BWJones · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, I guess the obvious question is: Where can I buy one? Followed up by: Are you going to Open source it?

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    1. Re:Obvious question..... by lxs · · Score: 5, Funny

      No no no no no!
      The obvious question is:

      "Does SCO plan to send a probe to mars, carrying an invoice for $699?"

  2. The real thing by Dan+East · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Let's hope the actual landers make it safely to the surface of Mars, so these models don't end up being sad reminders of the science that could have been.

    Dan East

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    Better known as 318230.
  3. I've heard alot about these models by Naomi_the_butterfly · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've heard alot about these models, and they're supposed to be spactacular. Incredibly accurate. There's a great collection of interviews (audio) with project scientists available at http://www.planetary.org/audio/planetaryradio.html . Really worth a listen.

  4. Unfortunately by CrankyFool · · Score: 4, Funny

    I called the Exploratorium. They said they were _supposed_ to receive one of these, but so far it's late checking in, and they're losing hope it'll actually arrive.

  5. Rock tracking? by CompressedAir · · Score: 4, Funny

    The robots take panoramic images and track and test rocks,

    "Still there... yep, still there. The rock has not moved."

  6. Re:Oops... by cybermace5 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, 1999, along with closing my bolding tag.

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  7. Control your own rover! by Naomi_the_butterfly · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes, this is real. You can actually control your own rover through the web, and see live images. These aren't replica's, but made of lego's to drum up interest in the "Red Rover Goes to Mars" bit sponsored by The Planetary Society, a group over 20 years old that advocates space exploration and planetary science, founded (in part) by the great Carl Sagan.
    Go to http://www.redrovergoestomars.org/Rrsites.php and control your own rover!

  8. Rovers ARE at the Exploratorium by ronhip · · Score: 3, Informative

    The robots ARE at the Exploratorium and are working great thanks to the fine folks at CMU. The "personal" rovers will go on display this weekend coinciding with our webcasts. See http://www.exploratorium.edu/mars for details.

  9. Finally, something usable on earth by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    NASA finally has made a practical technology: Remote Up-skirt viewers

    "Honest officer, the probe thought it was on another planet."

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