a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Manned/Unmanned Lunar Explorer (MULE) Another Dual-Mode (Manned/Unmanned) LRV for Post-Apollo missions. This one with manipluator arms. Courtesy of one of NASAs system engineering courses. Source: here. See other early Space Teleoperators here. See other early Lunar Robots here.
MACHINE TO EXPLORE MOON FIRST EXPLORER of the moon may be a machine. Roaming the crust, it would collect samples of rocks and dust with mechanical fingers, under remote control of spacemen remaining safely within a landed rocket ship. Hughes Aircraft company designers say it could be patterned closely after their Mobot, a mobile mechanical …
Read More “1959 – Lunar Robot Mobot (Concept) – Hughes Aircraft (American)”
Some of these early concepts for lunar exploration had elements of practicality; others were pure whimsy. One of the first, by Polish science-fiction writer Jerzy Zulawski (1874-1915), fell into the first category. His rover design appeared as an illustration in his 1901 tale "Szrebyym Globie" ["On the Silver Globe"] and featured full pressurization, electrical power, …
Read More “1901-3 – Walking Lunar Vehicle (Science Fiction) – Jerzy Zulawski (Polish)”
In 1960, the indefatigable Gernsback came out with another lunar rover design. He called it the “Homobile.” It had a pressurized cabin mounted on tracks and powered by electricity from fuel cells, with a leg-powered generator as an alternate source of energy. The cabin also had a pair of manipulator arms. Source:Originally from “1961 Forecast”, …
Read More “1960 – “Homobile” Lunar Rover – Hugo Gernsback (American)”
DATE:25/04/08 SOURCE:Flightglobal.com ESA to undertake lunar rover study By Rob Coppinger The European Space Agency is offering €500,000 ($786,500) for a pressurised lunar rover (PLR) phase 0/A study to produce a conceptual design, to evaluate its functional, technical and operational requirements and determine its likely cost and development schedule. ESA envisages a rover with …
Read More “2002 – ESA Lunar Rover – (Student concept) – Europe”