Lunar Rover Initiative
The Lunar Rover Initiative is developing Scarab to evaluate and demonstrate a combined drilling and science rover platform for lunar exploration. Scarab needs to be able to withstand extreme temperatures, perpetual darkness, and intermittent communications to explore polar regions of the moon in order to survey sites and understand resources for future science and exploratory missions. Working for nearly a decade to develop feasible mission concepts and validate technologies in extreme environments here on Earth, we are experienced, skilled, and dedicated to the vision of lunar exploration.
Scarab
How do you design a robot that can be close to the ground for drilling, while maintaining a sufficient belly clearance for mobility and obstacle avoidance? Scarab solves this problem by altering it's body pose. Scarab's nominal driving pose allows for extreme mobility and obstacle handling, while Scarab's drilling pose lets the robots belly lay on the ground.
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Do you like the pictures? Click here to see Scarab test reports with more pictures.
Click here to see additional movies, images, and slides from the December 2007 review.
Scarab Data Sheet
Drill Height: 2.2m (nominal pose), 1.6m (drilling pose)
Aspect Ratio: 1:7 (high pose), 1:2 (nominal pose), 1:1 (drilling pose)
Wheel Base: 0.8m (high pose) - 1.3m (drilling pose)
Mass: 280kg
Power: 200W (nominal), 78W (idle)
Wheel Diameter: 60cm
Static Pitchover: 29° (high pose), 42° (nominal pose), 45° (drilling pose)
Static Rollover: 48° (high pose), 53° (nominal pose), 55° (drilling pose)
Maximum Straddle: 57cm
Approach/Departure angle: 105° (nominal pose)
Breakover angle: 115° (nominal pose)
Rimpull (single wheel): 2500 N
Drawbar pull: 1560N
Watch video of early mobility and drilling tests.
See the mechanism that allows Scarab to lower it's body for drilling.
See Scarab handling large obstacles and a "twist" course.
Watch Scarab driving in and out of craters.
Contact Information
Dr. William "Red" Whittaker or
Acknowledgment
This work supported by grants from NASA, NASA Johnson Space Center, and NASA Glenn Research Center.