Mars may become hive of acivity as scientists hunt for life with robot bees
Nasa funds new project to create cyber-insects that can carry out a faster search of the Red Planet
A SWARM of robotic bees, nimble enough to fly across the surface of Mars and explore the Red Planet’s nooks and crannies, is being funded by Nasa.
The cyber-insects, dubbed Marsbees, are the size of bumblebees but have wings big and powerful enough to generate sufficient lift to hover in the Martian atmosphere, which is around 100 times thinner than Earth’s.
Developed by US and Japanese scientists, the bees would be fitted with sensors and wireless communication devices so they could map terrain, take samples, or even look for signs of life, such as methane emissions.
Although rovers are already exploring Mars, they move incredibly slowly. Since landing in 2012, Nasa’s Curiosity rover has travelled just 11.2 miles.
The Marsbees would have a mobile base, such as a rover, where they could recharge after they had been deployed.
Dr Chang-kwon Kang, of the University of Alabama, said: “Marsbees are robotic flapping wing fliers of a bumblebee size with cicada-sized wings. The swarm of Marsbees can significantly enhance the Mars exploration mission.”
The project is one of 25 early stage innovations which have been selected by Nasa from 230 proposals as part of the Space Agency’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) scheme. All receive a cash boost of around $125,000 (£89,000) from Nasa to fund research for nine months and can then apply to be selected from Phase II funding.
“The NIAC program gives Nasa the opportunity to explore visionary ideas that could transform future Nasa missions by creating radically better or entirely new concepts while engaging America’s innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey,” said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of Nasa’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
Other schemes selected include a steam-powered jumping robot capable of exploring icy ocean worlds such as Saturn’s moon Titan, which many experts believe holds the best chance for finding life in the galaxy.
Gareth Meirion-griffith, of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said: “The employment of a multi-hop architecture allows for the rapid traverse of great distances, enabling a single mission to reach multiple geologic units within a timespan conducive to system survival in a harsh radiation environment.
The University of Maryland also received funding to develop a biobot, a rover type robot, which would trundle alongside astronauts on lengthy missions, connected by an umbilical cord, to provide them with oxygen, food and water. The biobot would also be able to carry communications equipment and high-resolution cameras.