China and Italy Jointly Develop Moon Robots

People's Daily Online
Quote:
Italian and Chinese scientists have jointly invented a prototype robotics system for Moon exploration, professor Carlo Ghezzi of the Polytechnic University of Milan (PUM) told a visiting Chinese journalist delegation in Milan.

"The prototype robots are under control test," Ding Xilun, a Chinese professor who heads the Space Robots Laboratory of the Beijing University of Aerospace and Aeronautics, confirmed to Xinhua in a telephone interview on Sunday.

The project was initiated in 2004 with Alberto Rovetta, director of the Robot Lab of PUM's Mechanic Department.

The Novel Robotic System for Space Exploration, or "NOROS-1" for short, involves a robot family with one host robot and four assistants.

Upon the project's completion in 2008, these robots, each measuring 40 to 80 cm in diameters and weighing 12 to 30 kilograms, would be equipped with a wheel/leg locomotion system which allow them to move as they want and respond to the land situation on the Moon.

These intelligent robots would cooperate with each other like human beings and remain unaffected by the malfunction of other robots.

"Once the products are put to use, there will be an automatic robotic system on the Moon to manage and improve satellite communication. They can also be used to explore the environment of the Moon and collect soil samples on the Moon,"


People's Daily Online -- China, Italy jointly invent prototype robotics system for moon exploration