1971 – PrOP-M Mars Mini Rover (Soviet)

PrOP-M is now at the museum in St.Petersburg. PrOP-M (Device Evaluation Terrain – Mars) [Note: the acronym only works in Russian] ПрОП-Ðœ (Прибор Оценки Проходимости – Марс) Mass………………………………………………4 kg Overall dimensions…………………………215x160x60 mm Travel speed……………………………………1 m/h Power consumption………………………………5 W Customer: Lavochkin Association. (First translated article) Two automated rovers reached Mars in 1971 during a mission the Mars …

1979 – 6-legged Walking Machine – Efimov et al (Soviet)

Above stills from the video clip. The mechanical model was developed at the Institute VNIITRANSMASH (St. Petersburg). The parameters of the machine are the follows: body length 0,6 m and body width 0,25 m, weight 40 kg, length of leg 0,4 m (Efimov et al., 1982). Efimov, V., Kudriasev, M. & Titov, A.(1982). Investigation of Robotics Systems, chap. …

1985 – “NMIIIA” Hexapod Manned Rover – (Russian)

See a few seconds of "NMIIIA" in operation in the above Walking Machine compilation video.   As it exists today in Volga city of Togliatti is widely known as the birthplace of "Lada" and "LAD". But there is another interesting attraction, which we know not all – the Technical Museum of AvtoVAZ (Технический музей ОАО …

1977 – IPM Six-Legged Walker with Laser Scanning – Okhotsimski et al (Soviet)

The insect-like walkers were referred to as "cockroaches". In the early 70s, at the Institute of Applied mathematics (IPM) of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, a six-legged walking machine controlled on a base of a mathematical model of motion control was developed. The machine motion and the terrain were rendered on a display. …

1975 – “LIIIM” Mars Walking Device (Soviet)

see a few seconds of "LIIIM" in operation here. "LIIIM" running mock-up with ski-walking propulsive device (1975) Running mock-up was created in accordance with the "Mars-75" program. Purpose: investigation of the ski-walking method of motion over powdered soil having low bearing strength. Each ski has two electromechanical drives. Mass…………………………………………240 kg Overall dimensions……………….………..2×1.7 m Travel speed……………….…………….0.25 …