


NASA Robots and Rovers At Play In the Desert 54
Geoffrey.landis writes "Robots and rovers will be running around in the desert in the NASA Desert RATS ('Research and Technology Studies') test in Arizona, including the heavy-lift rover 'All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer,' or ATHLETE. (See videos from newscientist.com). Some NASA robots from an earlier field test of robotic lunar excavators can be seen on video from the NASA page."
Re:Dune coons (Score:4, Interesting)
Agreed, on many levels. You're completely right that this is a stalking horse.
On the other hand, if we're going to fight wars where we pacify populations then this is a much cheaper way to do it, in the long run, then the current way.
(I was about to say "pointless wars where we pacify populations" but you know, even though the one(s) we're in have been badly mismanaged by a pack of morons and at least one of them we had no business getting into at all, that doesn't mean that pacifying a country is always a pointless, devastating, callous exercise. Almost always, but not completely so.)
Besides, out of the killer robots which roam the countryside killing every biped or vehicle in a neutral zone will come better bots to clean our floors, install solar panels, manufacture AND install stuff, etc.
HG wells makes the point in _The Food of the Gods_ that every, EVERY technology gets used, no matter how annoying or absurd the consequences. And specifically every tech is ultimately used for war. HG Wells was right on so many things it's scary.
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HG wells makes the point in _The Food of the Gods_ that every, EVERY technology gets used, no matter how annoying or absurd the consequences. And specifically every tech is ultimately used for war.
You're talking about the SlapChop, right?
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But will they become self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time on August 29th and threaten humanity?
Desert Research and Technology Studies (Score:1, Funny)
Shouldn't that be "DRAT"s?
THIS .... (Score:5, Insightful)
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To launch anal people into a tizzy ;-P
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Exactly like the 1960s (Score:1, Funny)
Of course NASA did a lot of desert work in the 1960s. They had to create all those fake moon-landing films and photographs they released in the early 1970s.
Why NOT both (Score:2)
I think it is fair to say that manned programs push the boundaries of engineering and with it, science. Just because we got a person to hang out in orbit or walk on the moon means that we are masters of it. There is a lot to learn.
Space science is a strategic priority for the United States or at least should be treated like one. If you need to have basic research and exploration, and I want my manned exploration, then let us geeks stand up for this one, double NASA's budget, and chop something else. Sur
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Here http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=29107 [spaceref.com] they are testing a lunar port-o-jon. Slightly over sized so the astronauts can maneuver into position with all the space equipment
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Predictable ending (Score:3, Funny)
"Martha, git me gun. I spotted one of them metallic Martian dogs again sniffing 'round a cactus. Everyone knows Martian dog pee is pure poison."
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My mistake.
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And here I thought Martian dog pee could be refined into a motor fuel. My mistake.
Well yeah, but you wouldn't drink motor fuel. It's pure poison!
So what comes first (Score:2, Interesting)
The acronym or what it stands for? I always wondered that. Maybe companys and organizations have a whole team of people who's sole job is to brainstorm cool acronyms and then figure out words to fit.
Anyway, I still think this exercise would be cool to watch.
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I agree, the exercise would be cool to watch, and by that I mean both exercises - the actual robots doing their thing, and watching people in a conference room try to brainstorm "not quite stupid enough to laugh" phrases that fit a word-based acronym.
But, after all, NASA is the one who now has a treadmill called the "Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill", proving they have a sense of humor and a streak of brilliance at acronyms. They managed to appease the members of Colbert Nati
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I smell a new web-based biz startup
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Surely they should concentrate on flying and getting between planets ?
Learning to land (Score:1)
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Uhm...those are typically two different vehicles, one being the carrier to the other (sure, you have to build the rover within certain mass & size specs, compatibility generally, but that's all, roughly)
Sped Up (Score:2)
All these films are sped up. There's possible a jump cut (human intervention? long delay?) in one or more of them.
Will Moore's law make this go away? Is the problem a simple CPU issue? Will 8 times faster machines in 3-4 years give us speedy robots that don't need to be shown in fast motion?
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AH! (Score:2)
So better solar panel, better batteries, etc. are the real slowdown, not mechanical stuff?
Do you know if the processing power is now in excess, such that they could go pleasantly fast (unencumbered human speed or better) if they had unlimited power?
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How fast do you want this thing to move when the Lag to and from Mars is measured in Minutes?
Your fast Rover is very likely to wind up in a ditch before you see it coming to correct its trajectory.
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While you don't want to travel fast, once you know an area very well, you want to dig samples quickly, pick things up and place them (if you're doing assembly) quickly, etc.
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That's so you can finish watching them before their server is slashdotted.
GMOD + Reallife = NASA! (Score:2, Interesting)
Since there have been a number of recent updates to GMOD (a Half-Life 2 open sandbox "game" where you can create just about anything you can think of within the limits of the physics/materials/models) came out I have played with it everyonce in a while and find it very fun to take ideas I've had in the past and try to make them and try to find out how well they would work. I think the potential is there for very easy and semi-realistic prototype and R&D type building to go on, the poor mans NASA testbe
! *LIKE* It! (Score:2)
I guess I'll have to get a few more motors and build one myself.
Take a Look at the Tweels (Score:5, Interesting)
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so that the Athlete's can just roam around the moon
http://www.angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif [angryflower.com]
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Dept of A.C.R.O.N.Y.M.S. (Score:5, Funny)
Clearly, NASA employs a Department of ACRONYMS:
Artfully Coded & Readable Operative Names, Yielding Mnemonic Sentences.
I wonder if... (Score:2)
they gave it six legs, just to be able to name it that way:
'All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer,' or ATHLETE.
Oh, and.. (Score:2)
From the description
The first version of the ATHLETE vehicle is under development and has the following characteristics:
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* Able to dock or mate with special-purpose devices, including a launchable/releasable grappling hook, refueling stations, excavation implements, and/or special end effectors
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That sounds like some wild "mating"... :D