Mount Etna — A robot wheels across a rocky, windswept landscape that looks like the surface of some distant planet from a science fiction film. But it is not in outer space, it’s on the slopes of Europe’s most active volcano. Mount Etna, in Sicily, is a test bed for the approximately 90cm high, four-wheeled machine ahead of a future mission to the moon. It is being conducted by the German Aerospace Centre, the agency that runs Germany’s space programme. The programme has enlisted experts from Germany, the UK, the US and Italy to research Robex (Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments) with the aim of improving robotic equipment that will be used in space. "This is aimed at simulating a future, hypothetical landing mission on the moon or Mars and they use a lot of robots, which are there to transport and install different instruments," said Boris Behncke, a volcanologist from the National Vulcanology Institute in Catania, near Mount Etna. Scientists also hope to use the robots to...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.