Caltech and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have created the Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot (M4), a four-wheeled vehicle that independently analyses its surroundings to choose the best path around obstacles. The M4’s unique capabilities combine solutions from previous Mars robotic missions and may provide the creativity required to anticipate future missions. The four wheels of the M4 rotate onto their sides and act as propellers, transforming the Morphobot into a quadcopter drone. It can balance itself with the rotating propulsion of its front propellers while it pivot-walks to a clear route by utilizing its back two wheels as legs. Robotic planetary exploration vehicles, such as Mars’ Curiosity rover, are limited in the terrain they can traverse.
NASA’s Perseverance rover, which was launched with a miniature helicopter partner named Ingenuity, urged NASA to extend the drone-like vehicle’s mission to assist explore paths for Perseverance. These goals were met by the M4 initiative, as stated in a study published in Nature Communications. CAST cites locomotive tactics from many animals as inspiration for portions of M4’s design, such as the Chukar bird, which flaps its wings for balance when walking over rough terrain. The M4 team envisions applications for Morphobot technology on Earth, notably in emergency services.
