NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is currently testing multiple swimming robots destined to explore the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. The mission is called SWIM (Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers) and it envisions a swarm of dozens of self-propelled, cellphone-size swimming robots that seek chemical and temperature signals that could indicate life.
The team is using 3D-printed plastic prototypes that rely on low-cost, commercially made motors and electronics. Propulsion comes from two propellers, while four flaps are used for steering. Despite its simple design, the autonomous prototype still managed to demonstrate controlled maneuvering, the ability to stay on and correct its course, and a back-and-forth “lawnmower” exploration pattern.
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People might ask, why is NASA developing an underwater robot for space exploration? It’s because there are places we want to go in the solar system to look for life, and we think life needs water. So we need robots that can explore those environments — autonomously, hundreds of millions of miles from home,” said Ethan Schaler, principal investigator for SWIM at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
