Development of small-scale planet surface exploration robots: Status quo and trend

Abstract

In view of the requirements of small-scale mobile robots as scientific component loads for large-scale landing explorers in deep space exploration (particularly lunar, Mars and asteroid explorations), this paper summarizes the worldwide development status of small-scale planet surface exploration robots, focusing on the mission requirements, basic configuration and prototype testing of representative small-scale robots for the lunar, Mars and asteroid explorations. Based on the systematic summary of the developing trend of small-scale planet surface exploration robots, suggestions for the future development and improvement in this field in China are put forward. The analysis shows that: for the exploration of lunar rugged terrains which are of high research value, the small-scale wheeled and legged robots with strong motion performance have attracted wide attention, with countries such as Japan, Britain, Switzerland having proposed a series of design concepts, and many principle prototypes being tested; for the Mars and other planets with thin atmosphere, the rotorcraft as the component unit has become the focus of attention and development throughout the world. Meanwhile, the small-scale wheeled and roll-over robots for extreme terrain detection have also entered the stage of principle prototype testing, and the United States has maintained outstanding advantages in these fields; for the exploration of small mass and weak gravitational planets such as asteroids, the small-scale roll-over robots have become the mainstream of landing explorations. Japan's small-scale robots in the Hayabusa 2 mission have been successfully applied in practical engineering.