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mars

Top 10 space robotics companies: Commercialising the final frontier

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Space has become something of a commercial gold rush in the past 10 years or more, with new opportunities increasingly opening up for, and attracting, companies and individuals from many backgrounds.

Right now, as many of you will know, a student or maybe a group of students could build a “CubeSat” satellite for a few thousand dollars and find a rocket to take it up into space for a fee of around $40,000. So, for less than $50,000, they could legitimately call their enterprise a “space company”.

For the generation that grew up watching NASA and only NASA fly to space and back using the Space Shuttle and traditional rockets, this is difficult to believe. I suppose younger people have grown up in a time of unprecedented opportunity, at least in terms of space. [Read more…] about Top 10 space robotics companies: Commercialising the final frontier

CMU scientists contribute to NASA’s autonomous robot snake

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Carnegie Mellon University researchers teamed up with scientists at NASA to develop a robot capable of searching underwater oceans on distant planets for signs of life. (See video below.)

NASA’s Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) is a self-propelled, autonomous, snake-like robot inspired by a desire to one day look for signs of life in the vast ocean beneath the icy crust of Saturn’s Enceladus moon.

The robot can autonomously navigate extreme terrain, enabling it to traverse not only ice but also sand, rocks, cliff walls, deep craters, underground lava tubes and glaciers. [Read more…] about CMU scientists contribute to NASA’s autonomous robot snake

Einride and Mars partner to develop ‘largest’ electric project in industry

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Einride, a freight mobility company that provides digital, electric and autonomous technology, has agreed a partnership with food manufacturer Mars Inc to deploy a fleet of digitally optimized electric heavy-duty trucks across Mars’ network by 2030.

It is estimated that the European operations will save 20,000 metric tons of CO2e each year by 2030, accounting for roughly a 10 percent reduction in Mars Europe’s road transport GHG emissions.

Robert Falck, CEO and founder at Einride, says: “This sets a precedent for other players in the freight industry to follow, showcasing the mass potential of electrification at scale. [Read more…] about Einride and Mars partner to develop ‘largest’ electric project in industry

Levita Magnetics wins FDA clearance for its robotic surgery system

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Levita Magnetics, whose mission is to help more patients get access to better surgery, says it has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its MARS platform.

The Levita MARS system is a first-of-its-kind minimally invasive surgical platform aimed at the high-volume abdominal surgery market.

Harnessing the power of both magnets and machines, MARS reduces the number of incisions and enables surgeons to have complete control during laparoscopic procedures, all in a compact footprint designed to fit into existing operating rooms. [Read more…] about Levita Magnetics wins FDA clearance for its robotic surgery system

Nasa awards AeroVironment $10 million contract to design helicopters for Mars mission

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The success of Ingenuity Mars helicopter, co-designed and co-developed by AeroVironment and NASA/JPL, lays the foundation for the development of the Sample Recovery Helicopters

AeroVironment has been awarded a $10 million contract by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to co-design and co-develop conceptual designs and engineering development units of Mars Sample Recovery Helicopter flight systems.

Future efforts could include detailed design, build, and test of qualification and flight hardware. The helicopters build upon the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter design heritage and feature upgraded robotics to supplement aerial mobility.

AeroVironment engineers from the MacCready Works team previously worked with NASA JPL to co-design and develop the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which has completed 52 successful flights to date on Mars and survived 781 sols on the surface, far outperforming its design objectives. [Read more…] about Nasa awards AeroVironment $10 million contract to design helicopters for Mars mission

MIT device is converting carbon dioxide to oxygen – on Mars

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On the red and dusty surface of Mars, nearly 100 million miles from Earth, an instrument the size of a lunchbox is proving it can reliably do the work of a small tree.

The MIT-led Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE, has been successfully making oxygen from the Red Planet’s carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere since April 2021, about two months after it touched down on the Martian surface as part of NASA’s Perseverance rover and Mars 2020 mission.

In a study published today in the journal Science Advances, researchers report that, by the end of 2021, MOXIE was able to produce oxygen on seven experimental runs, in a variety of atmospheric conditions, including during the day and night, and through different Martian seasons. In each run, the instrument reached its target of producing six grams of oxygen per hour – about the rate of a modest tree on Earth. [Read more…] about MIT device is converting carbon dioxide to oxygen – on Mars

Levita Magnetics secures $26 million to advance disruptive surgical robotic system

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Levita Magnetics, on a mission to provide patients with more access to better surgery, has closed its $26 million Series C financing, which will be used to support regulatory and near-term commercial efforts in the United States for its Magnetic-Assisted Robotic Surgery (MARS) platform.

The financing was led by a healthtech investment group managed by seasoned investor Evan Norton, with participation from MedTex Ventures, as well as Invermaster and Carao Ventures, amongst other returning investors. The company also announced the appointment of Maria Sainz as chairwoman to its board of directors.

The MARS platform is designed to deliver the clinical benefits of the company’s first commercial product, the Levita Magnetic Surgical System®, including less pain, faster recovery and fewer scars for patients. [Read more…] about Levita Magnetics secures $26 million to advance disruptive surgical robotic system

100,000 Husqvarna robots prepare to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to NASA’s Mars robot

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More than 100,000 Husqvarna robots are preparing to sing the traditional “Happy Birthday” song to NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover robot in the weirdest birthday party ever.

Husqvarna says its robots will shout at the top of their voices – or whatever it is they use to communicate – from Earth to Mars, which is a distance of more than 174 million km, in an effort to get through to the “loneliest robot in the universe”, according to the company.

It generally takes about 5 to 20 minutes for a radio signal to travel the distance between Mars and Earth, depending on planet positions. [Read more…] about 100,000 Husqvarna robots prepare to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to NASA’s Mars robot

Perseverance’s first year on Mars: Purdue professor, mission team member looks at what is ahead

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Almost one year into the Mars rover mission, accomplishing its goal is on the horizon for Purdue University’s Briony Horgan and the Perseverance team.

February 18 will mark one year since the rover landed on the red planet following a seven-month, 300-million-mile flight across space.

Horgan, associate professor of planetary science in the Purdue College of Science’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, says anticipation is building as the team focuses on the mission goal: researching a now-dry large river delta. [Read more…] about Perseverance’s first year on Mars: Purdue professor, mission team member looks at what is ahead

US DoD selects Stratom to migrate robotic systems from ROS-1 to ROS-2

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Stratom, a developer of autonomous ground vehicles and robotic systems for logistics and operational applications, has been selected as part of an exclusive team to deliver the US Department of Defense’s Stage II of the Modular Autonomy and Robotic Software program, which involves the collaborative migration of Robotic Technology Kernel software modules from the first version of the Robot Operating System to ROS 2. 

For nearly a decade, the US government has been developing ROS-M (Robotic Operating System-Military), an ecosystem of software architectures, reusable components and supporting infrastructure to enable rapid development and fielding of robotic and autonomous systems.

Built on ROS 1, ROS-M enables the DoD to benefit from open-source development practices while maintaining tight control over the community-developed code. However, ROS 1’s current revision, Noetic, is set to be the last version, with support ending in 2025. [Read more…] about US DoD selects Stratom to migrate robotic systems from ROS-1 to ROS-2