Before we could think about Rolls-Royce’s nuclear micro-reactor, astronauts need a lunar base for research as well as living purposes, and that’s where GITAI comes in. The Torrance-based startup recently built a lunar base in a simulated Moon surface environment using their inchworm-type robotic arm equipped with “grapple end-effectors” on both ends of the arm.
GITAI’s ground demonstration emulated tasks that will be required for future lunar explorations and lunar base constructions using four robots: two inchworm-type robotic arms and two lunar robotic rovers. The group of robots performed excavation (mining), lunar base construction including installing solar panels, and maintenance involving changing the rover tire.
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The GITAI robots completed all planned tasks successfully, and have passed various tests corresponding to Level 4 of NASA’s Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) in a simulated lunar environment in the desert,” said the company.
