The snake robot form factor has existed for decades. In addition to the diversity it adds to the world of automation, the design has several pragmatic attributes. The first is redundancy, which allows for the system to keep chugging even after a module is damaged. The second is a body that makes it possible for the serpentine system to navigate tight spaces. The latter has made snake robots a compelling addition to search-and-rescue teams, as the systems can squeeze into spots people and other robots can’t. Other applications include plumbing and even medical, with scaled down versions that can move around pipes and human organs, respectively. NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), never one to shy away from futuristic robotic applications, has been exploring ways the robust form factor could be deployed to scout out extraterrestrial life. As is so often the case with these sorts of stories, we’re still in the very early stages. Testing is currently being conducted on terrestrial landscapes designed to mimic what such systems could encounter after slipping the surly bonds of this pale blue marble. That means a lot of ice, as NASA researchers are planning to send it to Saturn’s small, cold moon, Enceladus. Twenty-first-century flybys from Cassini have revealed a water-rich environment, making the ice-covered moon a potential candidate for life in our solar system. The eventual plan is to use the snake robot, Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS), to explore oceans beneath the moon’s crust and finally answer one of the universe’s big, open questions.
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